With the release date for the Rings of Power creeping closer and closer, anticipating fans have several questions about the show swirling around their minds. There are, of course, several small questions and plenty of curiosity around what the show will be like, but some questions seem more essential to the success of the show than others.
The release of the trailer in February, during the Superbowl, sparked a lot of curiosity about the visuals, tone, and characters of the series. There are five questions in particular that have cycled around and been mentioned but can only be truly answered when the Rings of Power is released.
What role will the Harfoots play in the story?
There’s been a lot of controversy around the inclusion of the halflings in this era of Middle Earth because it doesn’t necessarily correlate with the timeline of hobbits in the books. Because of that, fans feel that the inclusion of them had better play a big part in the story, otherwise it may be viewed as just another gimmick to pull in viewers that are sentimental about the hobbits due to the original LOTR trilogy films.
The Harfoots are one of the original types of Hobbits so using this particular group of halflings is appropriate, but it is not really included in the Silmarillion. If they are simply included because they are a beloved race of beings that tend to lighten the otherwise dark tone of the world, their characters may come off as unnecessary. How they are woven in is essential to how their presence is received by viewers and fans are hoping that the series makes it clear why they are a part of the show and that there’s a satisfying purpose for them being in it.
Will it stay true to the aesthetic and world structure of the original LOTR trilogy?
It’s one thing to stray from the book on a few details in any adaptation, but to have contrasting character behaviors, visuals, or world rules from a universe that’s already been examined through a film format can create noticeable and distracting differences that come off as inconsistencies.
Another concern fans have is that the creators of Rings of Power will not stay committed to Tolkien’s vision or the familiar vision set up by the pre-existing films. Further, fans wonder if the writers of the series are Tolkien fans because this will undoubtedly affect the result of this question. Already, the series has been described as different but familiar to the Middle Earth that fans know and love.
One significant reason this series was made in the first place is that it belonged to a universe that already had a pre-existing, successful franchise and would thus guarantee viewers. However, if the world revealed to the audience in the Rings of Power varies too much from the version of it fans are already partial to, it may defeat the purpose of creating another storyline in this universe in the first place.
Will character origins be explored in a significant way?
Because this show will take place in a period where any of the particularly popular characters would have been much younger (if alive at all), fans are wondering how these sorts of origin stories will be approached. How much of the origin story arcs will be straight from Tolkien, and how much will be created by the writers to contribute to each character’s involvement in the greater story?
For example, Galadriel has so far been revealed as having a warrior side to her in this series which was not necessarily stated in the books but certainly seems to stay true to who the character is and how powerful she is, so it makes sense even though it’s a newly designed detail in her arc. Another origin that fans hope may be explored or nodded to is where the origin of Orcs began, as Tolkien spoke of the circumstances that brought them about but not with specifics. Some fans even wonder if the infamous Tom Bombadil will make an appearance in the series, as his storyline is not one that’s been explored in a film format yet.
For any of the well known characters (and the less-familiar ones, for that matter) it is essential for the fluidity of the show that these origin stories be woven into the greater story naturally so that they reflect the story’s message. To simply include the origin stories because the characters are beloved would distract from the theme or goal of the story.
Will the series rely too heavily on CGI?
Fans are hoping that this is a question that’s answer won’t be painfully obvious. Any film fan knows that it is not usually a good thing if a film or show has very obvious CGI. If the use of CGi isn’t over done and is used only when it’s really required, it should make for a useful tool in enhancing the world and characters to create the finishing touches, rather than be relied upon heavily to completely create the world.
There is no shortage of shows with corny CGI that becomes a distraction from the storyline. One benefit of the original LOTR trilogy and even the Hobbit trilogy is definitely how balanced the visuals were, giving the world a natural and believable effect that practically pulled viewers into the films. If the Rings of Power can achieve these visual accomplishments, especially in a time when CGI has become an overused tool that stifles the creative contributions of crew like make up, costume, and set and props designers, and more. That said, CGI has opened endless doors in terms of what can be achieved visually and, if used properly, could easily be one of the best details of the show.
How will the added diversity of the series be utilized?
In terms of this topic, diversity does not just refer to incorporating more actors that are people of color to play characters, but also refers to the inclusion of stronger female characters than the prior films included. Overall, the inclusion of more diversity allows the story to be accessible, relatable, and more inspiring to a greater span of people, while before the characters really only catered to the white male viewers in the audience.
Many fans have made a big deal about the inclusion of more diversity, either in favor of it or against it simply because it’s not explicitly mentioned in the books. It’s hard to argue that diversity in a show is a good thing for the success of the series because it will appeal to a broader audience. That said, some fans are afraid it will disrupt the greater storyline to focus anything around perceived differences in race or gender standards of the world. However, if these differences are not treated as notable details that stand out or create new political issues in this world, the diversity should appear natural, normal, and accepted, as it should be.
While many fans anticipating the series are left wondering how, or even if, these issues will be addressed, the bits of information that have already been revealed by creators suggest that there’s hope. So far, it seems like the creators focused special attention on these details and considered all the pros and cons in how they represented the world and the changes made to it. While this should have fans feeling hopeful, there’s really no way for sure to know that these questions will be answered effectively, except for watching the show.
The Rings of Power will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 2nd, 2022.