Peter Jackson Isn’t Involved With The ‘Lord Of The Rings’ TV Series, But He Is Excited To Watch It
No,Peter Jacksonisn’t involved with theLord of the RingsTV series. Instead,JD PayneandPatrick McKayare developing the new show inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. And Jackson can’t wait to see what they come up with. The filmmaker says that the series will give him a chance to experienceLord of the Ringsin a way he never could with his own movies.
There’s been some confusion regarding Peter Jackson’s involvement in Amazon’s super-expensiveLord of the RingsTV series. First, a rumor surfaced that Jackson wasmulling over a decisionto play a part in the show or not. Then, a story broke where Jackson flat-out said “I’m not involved at all in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series.” However, a follow-up statement from the filmmaker suggested otherwise, when hesaid: “What I’m actually doing right now is putting the creative team [behind the series] together.”
Now, however, it seems clear Jackson has no involvement with the series. And he’s perfectly fine with that. In an interview withComicBook.com, the filmmaker says he’s “kind of looking forward” to watching the series when it arrives. Why? “I was a guy who didn’t get to see theLord of the Ringslike everybody else because I had to make it,” Jackson explains, “so I’m looking forward to seeing somebody else’s take on the Tolkien world.”
Jackson also added that he’s “not really” protective of the franchise, so he won’t be too upset if Payne and McKay’s vision differs from his own. Amazon dropped a staggering amount of money to snap up the rights to aLord of the RingsTV series, and rumor has it the show is destined for abillion dollar budget. Specifics regarding just what the show is about vary. The official release simply describe the series as follows:
“Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.”
In other words, it’s a prequel. One rumor states the series would focus on young Aragorn, the character played byViggo Mortensenin the films. There’s also already talk of aspin-off series. Payne and McKay are an up and coming creative team who worked on the script forStar Trek4. When the duo were announced to develop and write theLord of the Ringsseries, they issued the following statement:
“The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity. We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.”
Jackson’s work on the originalLord of the Ringsfilm trilogy is a towering achievement. Over the course of a massive production, Jackson and company created vast, epic, sprawling adventure set in a wholly believable world. Andthenthey made theHobbitmovies, and screwed it up. I will forever cherish Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy, and forever scorn the stilted, nearly unwatchableHobbitfilms. With that in mind, perhaps it really is best that Jackson hand this series off to a new creative team.
