The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hits Amazon Prime four weeks from today, and for the first time in over 20 years, someone other than Peter Jackson is in control of the franchise. Viewers will inevitably compare the new series to Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies as soon as it premieres. But it sounds like Amazon wanted Jackson to be involved from the start. Unfortunately, they never followed up when he asked to hear more about their plans for the show.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Jackson discussed whether he was ever considered for a return to Middle-earth once The Rings of Power began production. As it turns out, Amazon did reach out to him a few years ago, when writing was getting underway. However, the conversation never went farther than this.
“They asked me if I wanted to involved – [writer/producer Fran Walsh] and I,” said Jackson. “And I said, ‘That’s an impossible question to answer without seeing a script. So they said, ‘As soon as we get the first couple scripts, we’ll send them to you.’ And the scripts never showed up. That’s the last thing I heard, which is fine. No complaints at all.”
Jackson didn’t specify what kind of role Amazon had him in mind for. Regardless, he’s still a Tolkein fan at heart, so he’s excited to see what the producers came up with.
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“I’ll be watching it,” promised Jackson. “I’m not the sort of guy who wishes ill will. Filmmaking is hard enough. If somebody makes a good film or TV show, it’s something to celebrate. The one thing I am looking forward to is actually seeing it as a perfectly neutral viewer.”
For the record, Amazon later released its own statement clarifying why they didn’t employ Jackson’s services. But given his Oscar-winning success with the original LOTR trilogy, it would have been nice if they made the effort to pick up the phone and tell him themselves:
“In pursuing the rights for our show, we were obligated to keep the series distinct and separate from the films. We have the utmost respect for Peter Jackson and The Lord of The Rings films and are thrilled that he is looking forward to the watching The Rings of Power.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will debut on Amazon Prime on September 2.
Do you think the show can succeed without Jackson’s involvement? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Recommended Reading: J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
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