Since the success of Game of Thrones in the 2010s, TV adaptations of fantasy book series have been all the rage. With The Wheel of Time, Shadow and Bone, and The Witcher, all receiving their own big-budget releases for the small screen, it was only a matter of time until the original fantasy epic received the same treatment.

Sure enough, in late 2022, the world was presented with The Rings of Power: a Lord of the Rings (LotR) series that delves into the mostly unexplored events of Middle-earth’s Second Age.

Amazon MGM Studios, the creators behind The Rings of Power, spared no expense, investing in a five-season plan with a production budget of more than $1 billion — the highest ever for a television series.

But reception was mixed upon release; some fans were captivated by the breathtaking visuals and cinematic action sequences, while others criticized the series for deviating too much from the lore established by the original creator, J.R.R. Tolkien.

All this inevitably begs the question: would Tolkien himself have liked The Rings of Power? Let’s have a look at the evidence.

Tolkien on adaptations

Before we even get into The Rings of Power, we should examine Tolkien’s opinions on adaptations in general. Fortunately, The Tolkien Estate has released a collection of letters that gives us some insight into how Tolkien felt about potential adaptations of his work.

Nowadays, it’s standard practice to adapt a successful story into different mediums so it can reach new audiences, but this wasn’t always the case. It can be easy to forget just how long ago Lord of the Rings was released. The original book first came out in 1954, and its prequel, The Hobbit, was published in 1937 — over 85 years ago!

Given the success of the Peter Jackson films, readers may be surprised to learn that Tolkien was initially opposed to any adaptations of his work. When asked about a potential film version of LotR in 1968, Tolkien responded that “You can’t cramp narrative into dramatic form.”

While this perspective on cinema might seem antiquated, it was not at all uncommon at the time; Tolkien once received a letter from a 17-year-old girl begging him not to greenlight a film adaptation, writing that “It would be like putting Disneyland into the Grand Canyon.”

That said, Tolkien’s views on adaptation were not entirely cut-and-dried, especially as time wore on. In 1957, an American company inquired about the possibility of making a cartoon Lord of the Rings film, and Tolkien “welcom[ed] the idea of an animated motion picture, with all the risk of vulgarization.”

After reading the synopsis, Tolkien responded that he was “quite prepared to play ball,” given that the studio was open to advice. However, in a later letter, Tolkien admonished the synopsis for introducing “irrelevant magic,” and making “no serious attempt to represent the heart of the tale,” choosing to focus more on action sequences than the journey of the Ringbearers.

It still seems that Tolkien was not 100% opposed to adaptation in principle; like many creatives, he was simply protective of his work and wanted any retellings to pay proper respect to the world he had created. After all, the world of Lord of the Rings is as expansive as it is detailed — Tolkien put countless hours into meticulously crafting every aspect of Middle-earth, from its geography to the languages spoken by its various races.

So while we can never truly know how J.R.R. Tolkien would have felt about modern adaptations of his work, based on his letters we can gather that:

He was open to the idea of an adaptation, but;
Any attempts at an adaptation should take immense care to maintain the heart of the original story.

So the riddle we must answer is as follows: does The Rings of Power honor the spirit of Tolkien’s work?

How does The Rings of Power stack up?

As Lord of the Rings adaptations go, Peter Jackson set the bar high with his interpretation in the early 2000s. Often cited as some of the greatest fantasy films of all time, the Peter Jackson trilogy is beloved by audiences across the globe for its groundbreaking cinematography and ability to capture the magic of the original books.

However, not everyone has been quite so enthusiastic about Jackson’s portrayal; Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien’s eldest son, once stated that Jackson’s films “gutted the book, making it an action movie for 15-25 year olds.”

Of course, Christopher is more than entitled to this opinion — it just goes to show that maintaining the spirit of the books in the eyes of devoted Tolkienists is no easy task. Even fans of Jackson’s trilogy can admit that some of his creative decisions were more controversial than others, and that — despite Jackson’s overall loyalty to the source material — certain elements will always be muddled in the translation from page to screen.

So what about The Rings of Power? On a visual level, it is breathtaking; the intricate costume design, awe-inspiring landscapes, and elaborate set designs have garnered praise from fans and industry professionals alike.

But while the show may be gorgeous, some fans have criticized its visual design for being too grandiose.

Tolkien himself favored a much more grounded aesthetic — clothes and architecture were built in harmony with nature, not in opposition. The grand harbors, towering statues, and sprawling streets of Númenor are much closer to ancient Rome than the rustic, medieval Europe-inspired designs present in Tolkien’s own Middle-earth.

The aesthetics of each race in Middle-earth were carefully crafted based on their culture, history, and environment, so even small deviations from Tolkien’s work have significant implications for the show’s wider world.

Also, unlike the Peter Jackson trilogy, The Rings of Power is an all-new series set in the LotR universe — which presents its own set of challenges. Writing a fantasy story is no small feat, let alone writing one that fits neatly into a series as beloved as the Lord of the Rings. And from a legal standpoint, as the original source material goes, the showrunners have had little to work with.

Amazon MGM Studios does not have the rights to The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s collection of myths and stories detailing the history of Middle-earth, and the primary source for information on the Second Age. As such, Amazon took quite a few creative liberties with their interpretation of the Second Age. (Though The Silmarillion isn’t even a comprehensive guide, so even if Amazon had the rights to it, there would still be significant gaps to fill!)

The Second Age is a pivotal period in the history of Middle-earth; it covers the creation of the actual Rings of Power, the fall of the island kingdom Númenor, and Sauron’s emergence as the Dark Lord. These events lay the foundation for the cultural and political landscape we see in the Third Age, when the main story of The Lord of the Rings takes place.

In Tolkien’s original works, they take place over more than 3,000 years, but The Rings of Power condenses them to fit within a few decades. These alterations make sense from a television perspective — a story paced over thousands of years may not be as palatable to new fans, and following a consistent set of characters allows viewers to get invested in the events of the show.

But deviations from Tolkien’s lore don’t stop there. Certain characters who were not present in the Second Age appear in the show, and others have been heavily mischaracterized, even taking into account the showrunners’ limited IP access.

The presence of Hobbits, who did not appear in the books until the Third Age, is also notable, and the forging of the Rings differs considerably from Tolkien’s version.

The list goes on, but the point is clear — The Rings of Power makes significant changes to the source material that contradict the events of the canon timeline, which, based on his letters, Tolkien would have been vehemently against.

So, would J.R.R. Tolkien have liked The Rings of Power?

We will never have a conclusive answer on whether J.R.R. Tolkien would have liked The Rings of Power, but based on the available evidence, the answer is likely: no, he wouldn’t have. The Rings of Power takes some major creative liberties with the lore and aesthetics of the original work, which Tolkien was emphatically opposed to.

Still, it’s important to note that both the Peter Jackson films and The Rings of Power were produced long after Tolkien passed away.

Above all, Tolkien wanted to share his story with the world; perhaps he would have appreciated these adaptations for helping his work touch the lives of so many more. It’s possible that seeing all the new fans introduced to the magic of his world through The Rings of Power would have changed his mind.

Ultimately, Lord of the Rings is not just Tolkien’s story — it belongs to everyone who experiences it, no matter what form. Just because Tolkien may not have enjoyed The Rings of Power, that doesn’t mean you can’t!

Art is subjective; if you aren’t concerned with the nitty-gritty of Tolkien lore, and you find yourself being taken in by the sublime soundtrack and extraordinary visual spectacle, then have fun and enjoy the ride. After all: not all those who wander are lost.