The adaptation of a famous piece of literary work like the books of J.R.R Tolkien is certain to evoke a ton of emotion and rightly so, the otherworldly realms of Middle-earth and Valinor give a feel comparable to very few fantasy tales. However, in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the latest adaptation of the British writer’s work by Prime Video, the emotion evoked in the heart of supposedly die-hard fans of Tolkien has been condemnable. The casting of more people of color has drawn the ire of these fans and there has been a lot of backlash as they feel that the casting does not truly reflect Tolkien’s work.
The cast of the series, however, disagrees wholeheartedly with this backwards notion. In a post on the series’ official Twitter account, the cast collectively stood with the cast members of color while reiterating that Tolkien created a world that was at its core multi-cultural and that the casting decisions of Rings of Power pay homage to that ideal of diversity.
They reiterated that our world and Middle-earth have never been all white before and as such BIPOC people are here to stay in Middle-earth. Here is her statement in part:
We, the cast of Rings of Power stand in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse of some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.
JRR Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free people from different races and cultures join together, in fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil. Rings of Power reflects that. Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay.
Clark is yet another voice speaking up in support of the diverse cast of the new series. Whoopi Goldberg also spoke recently on the issue asking these disgruntled fans “What is wrong with y’all?” Wondering why people would accept fantastical worlds and not accept Black people playing roles in them, Goldberg added “All of y’all who have problems because there are Black hobbits… Get a job! Get a job! Go find yourself, because you are focused on the wrong stuff.”
Asides from the cast’s comments, other stars associated with the lore created by Tolkien have also advocated for inclusivity in the Rings of Power. Our favorite hobbits from the Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elijah Wood (Frodo), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Billy Boyd (Pippin), and Sean Astin (Sam) have all spoken up in solidarity while wearing merch calling for inclusivity in Middle-earth. They were joined by the young Galadriel (Amelie Child Villiers) in the new series posting pictures online to pass the message.
Despite this rancor, Rings of Power premiered on Friday last week with two episodes, and it has received rave reviews that attest to the production quality and offering the unique Tolkien experience.
A new episode will release on Prime Video this Friday, September 9.
Check out the post and the series trailer below:
