The next six weeks or so sees a fierce 3-way cage match: of fantasy franchises and of streaming services, as Netflix and HBO Max subscribers sink their teeth into Neil Gaiman’s Sandman (released last month) and Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon; Prime subscribers will journey to Middle Earth (from 2nd September) in Rings of Power.
Of course, if you have both, and have any interest in the works and their fandoms, this summer’s an embarrassment of long-awaited riches. If not, how to choose?
Rings of Power brings a more expansive feel in its sweeping landscapes and open skies than Thrones (New Zealand once again a breath-taking and varied Middle Earth), made gnarled, dark, and compact by its wars of succession angle. Thrones, despite its dragons, is depressingly redolent at times of the history documentaries of varying quality that rake endlessly over the Tudors and Plantagenets, cluttering TV schedules everywhere.
Rings of Power v. House of the Dragon
Unlike Game of Thrones, Rings of Power may both gain and suffer by its author’s unavailability: while George RR Martin shows no signs of slowing his prodigious output, Tolkien’s must, of course, remain unchanged. This might allow Rings of Power’s show-runners more scope to interpret the source texts, including poems and fragments as well as the novels, rather than mount a slavish adaptation. It’s worth noting here that Rings of Power is a collaborative effort between Amazon Studios and the Tolkien Estate and Trust.
Rings of Power sets up a simple origin story, distinct from the films (with Peter Jackson notably absent from the creative team) and set thousands of years before The Hobbit, outlining how the Rings of Power, responsible for much angst in Middle-Earth, came to exist.
It introduces several characters not featured in the films, but also introduces Morfydd Clark as a younger Galadriel and Robert Aramayo as Elrond (as played by Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson’s films).
Trailers also reinforce the Star-Wars-Star-Trek dichotomy here: one red-blooded and Shakespearean, the other increasingly concerned with ideals, reflecting the world we hope for, as much as the one that is. Rings of Power’s place on said dichotomy evident in every part of the production here, including the lack of graphic violence.
The large ensemble cast boasts no Hollywood A-listers, featuring a strong core of experienced character actors, of Welsh and Scottish origin, notable for a series whose languages derive from Celtic cultures, alongside the conscious decision to diversify, with well-known actors of colour such as Lenny Henry. Such careful choices and relatively untried show-runners avoid the distraction of starry turns, bringing the focus on character, as well as high-minded, if faintly humourless, myth making.
Streaming this weekend on Amazon Prime.
Related: The Rings of Power Looks Amazing On Amazon