The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhas just premiered its sixth episode on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform, with millions of fans tuning in each week to travel to Middle-earth and beyond. Theseries has been successful so far, despite the review bombs and backlash when the series first debuted. Prime Video has a lot riding on the series based on the work by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the team behind the project did everything they could to ensure the show continues for multiple seasons.
As it turns out, aLord of the Ringsshow was almost brought to life by an entirely different streaming service. In fact, two major companies pitched their ideas to the Tolkien estate, however, the family was not impressed. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, Netflix and HBO both took a crack at the beloved franchise and were met with little enthusiasm. HBO initially pitched an idea following Middle-earths Third Age, which would ultimately be a retelling of the story Peter Jackson brought to life in his feature film trilogy. But, of course, the estate already had problems with his adaptation. Christopher Tolkien had claimedJackson “eviscerated” the books, and the family didn’t want to tell the same story that’s already been done.
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Netflix would then take their shot at aLord of the Ringsshow or multiple shows at once. One source tells THR that Netflix “took the Marvel approach,” pitching a Gandalf series and an Aragorn drama. However, the ideas “completely freaked out the estate,” and Netflix never got far into the creative process after that. The company likely wanted to play with the idea of a connected universe, as Marvel has done since 2008, andGame of Thronesis currently doing with their spinoffs and projects in development. However, the estate wanted the opposite, with one show and story being the prime focus.
What Did Amazon Pitch to the Tolkien Estate?
Amazon would ultimately win the rights to produce the series currently on air,The Rings of Power. But, according to Vernon Sanders, Amazon Studios TV co-head, it was “our collective passion and fidelity to Tolkien that really won the day.” But, of course, the show would need someone to guide it. This led to J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, the showrunners who realized the key to making a successful series set in the Tolkien world, and it wasn’t rehashing older stories. Instead, they wanted to take the action to the unexplored Second Age.
THR reports their initial one-sentence pitch: “Chronicle the first five minutes of Jackson’sThe Fellowship of the Ring— the Galadriel-narrated prologue that told the story of the rings of power — during the course of five seasons.” In addition, the pair told Amazon the show would be more like “Braveheart, notNarnia— you want it real and lived in.”
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Ultimately, Amazon would interview many writers, producers, and directors after securing theLord of the Ringsrights, including talent such as the Russo brothers. However, it was Payne and McKay’s knowledge surrounding Tolkien that got them the job. Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke said, “Hearing them bounce back and forth, they had such a deep connection to the material that was there from the beginning. There was no education you could do for that; it was their natural organic interest.”
Of course, fans will have their own opinion regardingThe Rings of Power. However, there’s no denying that the showrunners have a deep love for the source material, as their effort can be seen and felt in every frame of the series. Fans can tune in to see Galadriel and the rest of the ensemble cast continue their adventure, withThe Rings of Powerarriving on Prime Video every Friday.
