The world of Middle Earth and J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings franchise is changing for good with Amazon’s upcoming streaming series, but new images concerning orcs are shocking fans.
The realities of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s work are changing its parameters with Amazon’s upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streaming series this September.
Since the first trailer graced the internet, Amazon has been sent on a whirlwind of emotion as fans weigh in on the now controversial series. Some fans called for the series to never air, while others nitpicked various details concerning iconic Tolkien structures, characters, and more.
With none of the original cast or crew being present in Rings of Power, as well as Elron and Galadriel being replaced by new actors, fans of director Peter Jackson’s Rings trilogy are looking for familiar faces as they step into the Second Age of Middle Earth.
Now, with new images of orcs, fans are completely stunned and blown away:
When we’re speaking about looks, CGI, etc.. They 100% nailed it. Orc’s looks creepy. Love the way they look.
When we're speaking about looks, CGI, etc.. They 100% nailed it. Orc's looks creepy. Love the way they look.
— Youngster Joey (@joey_jojojojojo) June 21, 2022
Another fan writes:
They look fantastic. Much better than the Goblins/Orcs of the Hobbit movies. Those were yikes.
They look fantastic. Much better than the Goblins/Orcs of the Hobbit movies. Those were yikes.
— Cross (@tinivule) June 21, 2022
In an exclusive interview with IGN, The Rings of Power‘s executive producer Lindsey Weber shares their excitement for having practical effects and prosthetics back in the live-action world of Tolkien:
“Well, I love Orcs. I love creature design, so I’m very happy to talk about this stuff. JD and Patrick — the showrunners — the very first page of their bible was about Orcs. They have a real passion for them, they love practical prosthetics and design, and they felt that they needed exploration given that this is the Second Age and thousands of years before the events of the Third Age. It was really important to them to treat them as their own culture and explore their world on its own two legs in its own right.”
Weber continues:
“We spent a lot of time talking about what it would mean to be an Orc in the Second Age. It felt appropriate that their look would be different, part of a wilder, more raw, Second Age, Middle-earth, closer to where the First Age ends. As we meet them, they’re not yet organized into armies, they’re a little more scattered and they’ve been scavenging. So it’s just a different time in their total story.”
Every Tolkien fan is more than pleased to see real orcs back in Lord of the Rings, a departure from The Hobbits film trilogy that featured full-CGI creatures that viewers ultimately weren’t pleased with.
Now, as Amazon harkens towards classic Peter Jackson orc design, it’s clear that the series’ reported $1 billion budget is coming in handy!
More about The Rings of Power
Taking place in the episodic Second Age of Middle Earth, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power chronicles the construction of the One Ring worn by the evil Sauron under Mount Doom:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
The near $1 billion series is set to focus on the rise of the Sauron, the historic alliance between Elves and Men (that transcended the entire franchise), the island of Númenor/Westernesse, as well as a look into Khazad‐dûm/Moria before the dwarven kingdom fell to hoards of goblins and the deadly Balrog/Durin’s Bane.
However, unfortunately, you won’t be seeing any of the legendary hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), Bilbo Baggins (Sir Ian Holm), Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan), Pippen Took (Billy Boyd), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gandalf the White (Sir Ian McKellen), Saruman (Sir Christopher Lee), Gollum (Andy Serkis), and more in Rings of Power.
Dark Lord Sauron is set to have a massive role in The Rings of Power. Still, the series features a relatively unknown cast of lead and supporting actors that are set to play some of the most formative names in Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien (Morfydd Clark), and Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur), replacing Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving.
New characters like Dwarven Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete), silvan elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova), and Cole (Maxim Baldry) have been created specifically for the series (seen below).