When BGN first published the press release for the new cast announcements for the impending The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Prime Video series, the fan reception was massive. While there were some mixed reactions from book purists about the diverse cast taking creative liberties with Tolkien’s vision in this reimagined version of Middle Earth, several sci-fi/fantasy fans were excited about the impending series.
However, book purists will have to set their biases aside since this series will have little to do with J.R.R. Tolkien’s book or Peter Jackson’s films. In fact, this epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. While there are some familiar characters in this story, many are quite new, which will onboard new fans and bridge old fans to reignite their nostalgia in the compelling Prime Video series. The territories explored in this series includes the Misty Mountains, the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, and the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, just to name a few.
During the Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power the full trailer for the series was released for the first time for fans to enjoy in all its glory, featuring a singing dwarf from actor Sophia Nomvete and an impressive music score from composer Bear McCreary honoring Howard Shore’s legacy.
During the Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, TV composer Bear McCreary opened with a spectacular score for fans that will serve as a new hallmark for the show. McCreary has become the new John Williams for score composition.
The panel was the first Hall H panel of Friday morning and opened up with surprise host Stephen Colbert, a noted Tolkien geek who knows all things in the Tolkienverse. There was an impressive panoramic presentation of the trailer that vibrated throughout the entire Hall H arena.
The panel first welcomed producers and show creators Patrick McKay, J.D. Payne and Lindsay Weber. “This is an emotional an overwhelming moment for us,” said McKay who started reading The Hobbit in fifth grade. McKay describes the show as a series being born of struggle, pain, and evil. “It’s about the return of evil — that’s what the show is about.”
J.D. Payne came into the story of LOTR much later. “I came to the story through the Jackson films and read the books later. LOTR is a human story. It’s the things that matter most to you. How far in the dark would you go to protect the thing that mean the most to you? If we are gonna tell fifty hours of story, we wanna make it worth it.”
As for fan expectations, Weber adds, “Keeping up with the imagination of Tolkien has been the real challenge of making the series.” However, the series creators have taken this project seriously. They’ve spent 4 1/2 years crafting this project. McKay adds he doesn’t want to disappoint fans.
The research was also done carefully, as the showrunner and producers worked with Tolkien scholars who consulted on the project, even though many of the characters rooted in the story are non-canonical.
As for the scale of the production of the series, be prepared to have your mind blown. The team has decided to rely greatly on practical effects, building entire cities and filling in some CGI here and there. And from some of the clips shown exclusively to Hall H attendees, the production team spared no expense on the budget for this show.
As for fans concerned with female dwarves having beards on this show? Lindsey Weber confirmed there will be bearded female dwarves. Rest assured.
McCreary added that he wanted to honor the legacy of Howard Shore. “I wanted to create a score that honors his continuity,” he said. “Númenor needed to be different, and you will hear instruments you’ve never heard before.”
BGN live-tweeted some insights from the panel as well. Check out some of our coverage including Bear McCreary’s opening musical score and a beautiful anecdote from actor Sophia Nomvete about her audition process of getting the role of Disa. Sophia is carving a new path as the first Black and female dwarf in the LOTR fandom, which for Black Girl Nerds everywhere is a huge deal. The representation on this show will serve as a huge benchmark for the sci-fi fantasy genre.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres exclusively on Prime Video September 2nd, 2022.
Check out the trailer!
