"The Rings of Power": Amazon defends the diversity of its cast

The big budget series: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power based on the work of Tolkien released on September 3 on Amazon is at the heart of a controversy on social networks.

REUTERS - DANISH SIDDIQUI

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The big budget series

, adapted from the work of JRR Tolkien released on September 3 on Amazon is at the heart of a controversy on social networks.

Some criticize the choice of actors from diversity who would distort the work.

Several roles are indeed entrusted to black or Hispanic people.

Others see it as a good development.

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“There are not only white people in Middle-earth”

 defended the Amazon group against criticism of its casting.

actually takes place in Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The

and The

, the cult trilogy already adapted for cinema.

Tolkien drew inspiration for his work from the Middle Ages in which the characters are elves, dwarves or hobbits.

In a press release relayed by the series' Twitter account, the actors also stepped up to the plate:

We stand in solidarity with our cast.

#YouAreAllWelcomeHere pic.twitter.com/HLIQdyqLmr

— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) September 7, 2022

But if purist fans protest against a supposedly forced diversity, some Internet users see it as a welcome development.

The controversy around the

does not dampen the enthusiasm of the public.

The series attracted 25 million viewers on the first day of its release, a figure that continues to grow.

Broadcast on the Amazon Prime video platform, the title has a substantial budget of more than a billion dollars for at least five seasons. 

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