The Lord of the Rings series is a deeply imaginative magnum opus from J.R.R. Tolkien. Featuring a fantastical world of hobbits, elves, dwarves, orcs, wizards and other magical beings, this literary masterpiece has fascinated fans for decades. After a trilogy of blockbuster films by Peter Jackson, it has been adapted for streaming with The Rings of Power.
The first few episodes have already invited the ire of online trolls hours after their debut. A vocal subset of fans are not feeling the characters. Their criticism remains centred on certain characters and their skin color.
Trolls have indulged in abuse and harassment against black cast members. The official Twitter account for Amazon Prime’s TV production decided to take those racist reactions head-on.
Rings of Power cast takes on haters
In a public tweet, the RoP cast decided to clap back against racism and threats of harassment against some actors. Here’s their message of solidarity:
The statement says that despite online criticisms from certain quarters, author J.R.R. Tolkein always envisioned a “multi-cultural” world of Middle-Earth. With individuals from many diverse backgrounds and races coming together in an epic battle against evil.
“We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis.
“We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”
List of Cast Members
Amidst Fan account LOTRUpdates has shared the complete list of the announced so far, which includes people of color.
Reportedly, Amazon suspended reviews for the show after some reviewers took online and criticized the show for being too diverse. Right now, Rings of Power holds a whopping 85% critic approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
The Rings of Power is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, with a weekly episode coming out every Thursday.
