LORD OF THE RINGS Actor Says J.R.R. Tolkien Would Not Approve Of TV Series
Now that we know JRR Tolkien's seminal Lord of the Rings fantasy series, is getting its own Amazon series that will take place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, we have been getting mixed reactions all over the internet. Now one of the stars of the original Peter Jackson trilogy is sharing his opinion. John Rhys-Davies recently revealed his thoughts on the project, going as far as saying Tolkien must be "spinning in his grave" at the thought of the project. While talking to Den of Geek, he said:
"Well, you know they have the money to do it. Why we quite need Lord Of The Rings as a TV series baffles me slightly. I mean, poor Tolkien must be spinning in his grave."
A lot of Tolkien fans see this series as a financial opportunity instead of a creative one. Rhys-Davies feels the same way about it.
"This is the point you see - it’s not about doing it better, it’s about making more money, that’s all. If they think they can make more money, then they will."
Rhys-Davies also suggested what might be a better alternative to the fantasy realm.
"Actually, I've got a better idea for them, or for any company – Lord Of The Rings spun-off an awful lot of imitations about elves and dwarves and things like that and I would simply buy those up and put them together and make a wonderful elvish… there was a trilogy of books that were given to me the other day by a lady author, who’d written an account of the adventures of a dwarvish lady. That would make a far more interesting account of Tolkien's words, in a world like that."
With Game of Thrones wrapping up for good following its next season, there will be a gigantic demand in fantasy-themed programming, which this new series could potentially capture.
"And you know there are hundreds and hundreds of young writers, who have made their contributions and if was a well-heeled film producer, that’s where I'd be looking, because that gives more actors more chances and it’s still a great tribute to Tolkien. It costs less to make and it would be original and fresh, but then what the hell do I know!?"
What do you guys think? Do you agree with Rhys-Davies or do you really want to see what Amazon can do with the Middle Earth?