The Amazon funded Lord Of The Rings television adaption is no longer a rumor. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the popular streaming site purchased the global rights for roughly $329 million dollars. With the reported five seasons and potential-spin off taken into account, this could easily be one of the most expensive productions in television history. When everything is said and done, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings could potentially cost $1.3 billion.
When it was announced that Amazon and Warner Bros. were in talks with Tolkien’s estate to develop a live-action television adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings, I felt only antipathy. Not merely because I’m a fan of Peter Jackson’s now decade-old interpretation, though that certainly played a role in my disinterest, I’ve also grown dispirited from the trend of remakes and adaptations that has all but crushed the creativity for new, original sagas.
Some of the cast from Jackson’s awarding winning trilogy have since weighed in on the remake, including famous Samwise Gamgee actor Sean Astin, who I consider to be the anchor and heart of Tolkien’s epic. Astin had this to say to EW Radio (Sirius XM 105):
“I saw that the other day, and I thought that was intriguing. I’ve been saying for 15 years that maybe like 12 years after Lord of the Rings came out, that it would get remade. And people always said, ‘Oh no, it’ll never get remade! It’s a classic! They could never top it!’ And I’m like, ‘No, it’ll get remade. It’s a massive story! The characters are so beloved.’ ”
Astin also told EW host Kyle Anderson that he has no interest in reprising Samwise (not that it was ever a plausible option) and went on to say he’s curious as to who will take up his old role in the new Amazon series. “The devil’s in the details. How would they do it? How? Who?”
But not all of Jackson’s alum share Astin’s cautious optimism. John Rhys Davis, the nerd paragon who portrayed Gimli and voiced Treebeard, told Den Of Geeks the Amazon series is a “disgrace” and that “Tolkien must be spinning in his grave”
The other cast members have yet to speak publically about the project, though it’s all still very new. It can be assumed that Viggo Mortensen won’t be too keen on the idea, considering how much his heart has hardened toward the acclaimed trilogy in the years since its release. If I’m being honest, if it wasn’t for the Hobbit trilogy, I might be more willing to take the opposing view. But as it stands, I’m neither excited nor resentful.
We’ll be sure to fill you in as more details emerge.
