THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER's Shift To UK And Adar Recasting Addressed By Amazon Boss

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER's Shift To UK And Adar Recasting Addressed By Amazon Boss

Amazon Studios boss Vernon Sanders has addressed The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's shift from New Zealand to the UK, while also weighing in on the decision to cast Sam Hazeldine as the new Adar.

By JoshWilding - Dec 21, 2022 03:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Lord of the Rings
Source: Deadline (via SFFGazette.com)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was criticised for some unorthodox creative decisions and, more disappointingly, the fact it boasts a diverse cast. The most expensive TV series ever made, the response was ultimately a mostly positive one, with Prime Video's investment seemingly paying off once they started touting vague viewership figures.

Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) recently spoke with Vernon Sanders, Head of Global TV for Amazon Studios, and he reiterated that this financial bet is one that "has more than paid off" for Prime Video.

He was also asked how production, which moved from New Zealand to the UK for season 2, is currently going. 

"Season 1 had so much establishing to do that we now get to have the fun of seeing the story ramp up as Sauron is revealed," he teases. "And I think audiences can look forward to a show that, while it feels true to itself, feels like the stakes are ever higher and now that the rings are in play, seeing what they can do and seeing how the various factions within the world deal with those implications. I think it’s going to be really compelling."

"We’re going to new lands, and there are new expansive things happening in season two. And part of the benefit of being in the UK is that we’re going to be able to shoot in places that look very different than what we saw in season one. We’re able to shoot all across Europe, and we will see some of that production value on screen."

After teasing that fans can expect "bigger battles" in season 2, Sanders was also asked to share some insights into the decision to recast one of the show's leads, Adar (played by Joseph Mawle in season 1). 

"Unfortunately it didn’t work out. And with a show that had this many series regulars and this many recurring characters, it unfortunately happened. Joseph was tremendous and gave an incredible performance. We’re also excited about our new actor. The character of Adar in Season 2 has some really exciting dynamic things to play."

It's always a shame when an actor is replaced, but in this instance, it sounds like the change was inevitable. We're sure The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power won't suffer too much in the grand scheme of things, and despite a shift in location, we're hoping the show will still deliver the sort of epic visuals that made the first eight episodes feel so epic in scale. 

As expected, Sanders also pointed out that we're unlikely to see season 2 until 2024. With that in mind, it's probably going to be a while before any sort of sneak peek is revealed!

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ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/21/2022, 4:23 AM
What kind of [frick]ing stupid name is THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER anyway?

They redundantly use rings twice? Tolkein would shit kittens if he knew.

Mercwitham0uth
Mercwitham0uth - 12/21/2022, 5:14 AM
This series sucked floppy donkey dink.

I got through maybe 3 or 4 episodes and just didn't give a shit anymore.
ElvenKingSlayer
ElvenKingSlayer - 12/21/2022, 7:01 AM
@Mercwitham0uth - Sad to say then you saw the best half of the season...
Goldboink
Goldboink - 12/21/2022, 9:46 AM
@Mercwitham0uth - It's not really Tolkien but I gutted it out. The Game of Thrones crew loved it so there's that.
Mugens
Mugens - 12/21/2022, 5:31 AM
Still didn't really give a reason for the actor's exit. Was it due to money, a change of location, inability to get along with the cast or crew? I guess we'll never know, at least anytime soon. After the very slow start, I enjoyed the series, especially the final 3 or 4 episodes. Looking forward to the next season.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 12/21/2022, 7:21 PM
@Mugens - Actor said he just got a better gig that he was more passionate about so he left. Happens all the time on TV.
pintoman
pintoman - 12/21/2022, 5:44 AM
Tolkien wasn't mentioned in anything he said. You know, this whole show feels like it's being done by a group of people who are going through the motions without a clear vision—or reason—to tell a specific story. They make pieces, move them around, and then call it a day. The diluted trickle down.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 12/21/2022, 7:34 PM
@pintoman - @pintoman - It is. They originally had a tolkien expert and consultant on the show with the intent to make it as close to the source as possible. But he was fired when the creative decisions of the producers didn't match up. amazon producers wanted more female characters, diversity, and woke themes that were not as prevalent in Tolkien's source material which he was against and they fired him then rewrote the whole show to match "modern political views and diversity". even though its marketed as being complementary to the peter jackson's movies, they lied about it after firing the tolkien expert. that's why alot of events in the show no longer match up with tokien's literature or the movies.

The shows "okay" and your expectation should be set to the bare minimum to enjoy it. It's nowhere near as good as Hobbit or LOTR except for costume design and music which is amazing.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 12/21/2022, 6:36 AM
Trash TV show. I don't know what kind of bottom feeders he's trying to convince with that "more than paid off" line. Probably the same 10 people who endured the show.
WaffeX
WaffeX - 12/21/2022, 9:26 AM
Zack McGowan looks like Joseph Mawle, he would have been the perfect replacement



MrDandy
MrDandy - 12/21/2022, 10:22 AM
Series was brutally disappointing. I’ve already dropped it. Hopefully it can get better and more loyal to the source to bring me back, but I very much doubt it will. The creators seem to have little interest in actually adapting Tolkien’s characters, story, or world.
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 12/21/2022, 11:41 AM
Great show, greatly looking forward to season 2.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 12/21/2022, 2:06 PM
@TheUnworthyThor - great show on opposite day perhaps.
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