Amazon Prime Video has released the first teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power based on the iconic novel by British writer John Tolkien.
The action of the tape takes place thousands of years before the events of the original trilogy, in the second era of Middle-earth (it is known for the appearance and loss of the Ring of Omnipotence, during the same period there were numerous wars between the antagonist of the universe Sauron and the elves).
The inscription in the trailer reads: "To the King, to the Fellowship, to the Ring - this autumn will mark the beginning of a new Legend."
It is assumed that the project includes many storylines in which a variety of characters appear - from the dwarves living deep in the dungeon to the elves from the kingdom of Lindon.
The video begins with the question: “Have you ever wondered what else this world is fraught with?”.
These words, perhaps, are spoken by the ancestor of the hobbits, performed by Markella Kavena.
In the video, the creators of the tape introduce the audience to the young versions of already famous characters and show some of the places remembered from the films of director Peter Jackson.
So, in the video, an earlier version of the elven mistress Galadriel, performed by Morfydd Clark, appears: the heroine climbs an ice-covered rock.
In addition, there is a scene with a young half-elf Elrond (Robert Aramayo) in the trailer.
The video also features new characters: in particular, a man named Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), who is kept on a small raft in the middle of a raging sea.
In the video, apparently, the prince of the kingdom of the dwarves Durin IV (Owain Arthur), the forest elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz), the dwarf princess Disa (Sophia Nomwete) and others appear.
Netizens reacted ambiguously to the debut trailer of the series, many criticized the creators of the project.
So, potential viewers leave a statement translated into different languages under a YouTube video: “Evil cannot create anything new, it can only spoil and destroy what good forces have invented or created.”
In the first few hours after the video was published, the total number of comments exceeded 26,000.
Many noted that the plot of "Rings of Power" departs from the work of the British writer, but there are those who defend the creators of the series.
“I just don't understand all these people who are complaining that the show isn't 100% true to the books.
This is ADAPTATION.
And, judging by this trailer, very good.
Just accept that you will not get what you wanted, but still something good, and everything will be fine, ” emphasizes one Twitter user.
Some authors note that some of the landscapes in the teaser are similar to the already familiar Middle-earth, while others differ from the fictional continent.
Also, some users hope that the series will not address the problems of modern society, and the tape will remain true to the works of Tolkien.
“After watching the teaser, one gets the impression that just another fantasy series is coming out on the screens.
I only hope it doesn't have a modern social agenda and the creators stay true to Tolkien's vision," another Twitter post reads.
On February 10, 2022, Vanity Fair magazine published footage of the new series, which, in particular, depicts the elves Galadriel and Arondir, the half-elf Elrond, the human Halbrand, as well as the dwarves Durin IV and Disa.
The choice of the actor for the role of Arondir caused controversy among Internet users.
Some of them were outraged that he was played by a black artist.
“I am a member of color and have always loved The Lord of the Rings and [Tolkien's] books.
There are no dark-skinned and black-skinned people in Middle-earth, they live in its eastern part (Easterlings).
Black dwarf and black elf?
I can't deal with this.
We do not want representation at the cost of destroying a long-established history,” wrote one of the bloggers.
In addition, the released footage is criticized for its excessive use of computer graphics, noting that Galadriel in "Rings of Power" looks "as if he were in a 3D cartoon".
According to users, the original films looked "old and dirty,", and the new video turned out to be "too sterile and digital".
© Shot from the teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
The showrunners and lead writers of the project were Patrick McKay and John D. Payne, who co-wrote the script with producer Brian Cogman (Game of Thrones) and other writers.
The first two episodes were directed by Juan Antonio Bayona.
It is known that approximately $465 million was allocated for the production of the first season, which could make the series the most expensive in history.
The project also involves actors Nazanin Boniadi ("Iron Man"), Joseph Mole ("Game of Thrones"), Charlie Vickers ("Medici: Lords of Florence"), Daniel Weyman ("Van Gogh: A Portrait Painted with Words"), Megan Richards (“Wanderlust”), Dylan Smith (“My Name is Night”), Lenny Henry (“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) and others.
The creators of the series plan to release five seasons.
The premiere of the first episode is scheduled for September 2, 2022.