When we get right down to it, the live-action Lord of the Rings movies were primarily about hobbits and humans. The Hobbit films were about hobbits and dwarves. And so, it’s high time we get to see more of the elves. And it sounds like Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power will deliver on that need. Although we know a lot will transpire, among other things, Rings of Power will offer a new perspective on elves and LOTR‘s Middle-earth as a whole.
Speaking to Empire, Rings Of Power concept artist John Howe shares more about what we can expect from The Lord of the Rings‘ upcoming series. He notes to Empire:
This isn’t the Middle-earth you remember. This is a world that’s very vibrant. The elves are not hidden away in Mirkwood or lingering in Rivendell. They’re busy constructing kingdoms. The dwarven kingdom of Moria is not an abandoned mine and the Grey Havens is not yet an abandoned city. I loved having the opportunity to explore that unseen history.
It sounds like the elves will be very busy in Rings of Power. In The Lord of the Rings movies, we find the elves in their dying time. As Howe mentions, they’re tucked away and hidden for the most part. And the Grey Havens feel more like an afterlife, unknowable and ethereal than an actual city. But Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth and it’s the heyday of elves. We can’t wait to see what bustling elven kingdoms looks like and are excited to see elves in their prime.
Howe also teases the exploration of new waters. The show will introduce the concept of sea-faring elves to the screen. When we think of Middle-earth’s elves right now, we might think of deep forests and lots of green, but this Lord of the Rings series will take them away from the soil and onto new shores.
We’re finally sailing on the oceans of Middle-earth. They [the sea-faring elves] are daunting and enterprising and are almost colonising the world. They were a lot of fun to imagine. It’s something neither Lord Of The Rings nor Hobbit movies went anywhere near.
We love the idea that Rings of Power will bring us something new, expanding our vision of both elves and Middle-earth. Although we hope to find familiar anchors in the LOTR show, the idea of finding new conceptions of the worlds we love feels exciting.
Sea-faring elves and all their friends will arrive in Middle-earth on September 2 when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releases on Prime Video.
Originally published on May 10.
