Since the time the series went into production, there were plenty of fans upset with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The new series adapts the iconic world of J. R. R. Tolkien for the small screen. And while many fans are pleased with the series so far, there are others who felt the direction focused too heavily on diversifying its characters. We’re reaching a point where Hollywood hopes to create more diversity and representation with its projects – and we’re seeing more backlash to such actions every day. As such, creators and showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have outright called fans “evil” for their backlash against The Rings of Power.
As revealed in a discussion with THR, Payne felt that critics of the series were mostly upset with the use of BIPOC actors in the show. He claimed that the backlash is “very hard” for them to understand because “the spirit of Tolkien is about disparate peoples who don’t trust one another and look different from one another finding common ground in friendship…” He further noted that because of this, the fact that “this aspiration would be offensive to people and enrage them…it’s very hard for us to understand.”
This was further emphasized when he explained that haters of this series aren’t doing any good. They aren’t protecting the feelings of Tolkien – but rather they are simply “evil.” Specifically, Payne stated that “I don’t see how people who are saying these things think that they’re fighting for good…It’s patently evil.”
Indeed, there are plenty of toxic internet users that have been targeting the show for all the wrong reasons. Many cast members have felt attacked as a result and Amazon even removed reviews because of people trolling the system. Nevertheless, there are legit criticisms out there – and this could be a way to try and invalidate them. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see where the support (or lack thereof) for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will continue and whether or not the backlash will stop.
Fans can stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the Lord of the Rings franchise or The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as we have them.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently available to stream via Amazon Prime Video.