News Analysis India

Tag: The Rings of Power

  • Amazon CEO calls for budget analysis after Priyanka Chopra’s USD 300 mn ‘Citadel’ underperforms

    By Online Desk

    Amazon.com Inc. CEO Andy Jassy has demanded a detailed budget analysis after a number of recent shows including Priyanka Chopra starrer Citadel derailed in the market, a Bloomberg report said.

    He has been “scrutinizing the studio’s ballooning costs and mixed track record with audiences”, it said.

    The outlet reported that 27,000 people will be laid off from Amazon as part of cost-cutting and that nearly 37 “unnecessary” productions have been killed.

    In the past nine months, Amazon’s original shows such as Daisy Jones & the Six, The Power, Dead Ringers, and The Peripheral all cost more than USD 100 million to produce but failed to make it to Nielsen’s list of the 10 most-watched streaming programs in the US. 

    Citadel is a spy thriller series that was released on 28 April with a massive star cast including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and Stanley Cummings. 

    In the show, Richard and Priyanka play spies who are part of the independent global spy agency Citadel. It gets destroyed by the Manticore, a powerful syndicate, and the agents’ memories get wiped. They then embark on a mission around the world to stop Manticore.

    Josh Appelbaum (‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’), Bryan Oh, and David Weil created the series for Amazon Prime Video, with ‘Marvel’ films fame Russo brothers acting as executive producers.

    The series is a passion project of Jen Salke’s, who leads the studio, and who wanted “a global series that could take place in multiple locations and lead to country-specific spinoffs.” An Indian version of Citadel directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan is under production while an Italian adaptation is already ready.

    The first season of Citadel was intended to have a budget of USD 20 million per episode and run for eight episodes but the budget ballooned due to cost overruns caused by the pandemic as well as a creative overhaul (Russo Brothers Anthony and Joseph insisted on several reshoots.) Only six episodes were aired in the end. 

    However, the first season was produced with an estimated budget that was above USD 300 million (nearly Rs 2,500 crores), making it the second-most expensive show after The Rings of Power.

    Joe Russo has been appointed as the sole director of the second season of Citadel, reportedly receiving a payment of USD 25 million for it.

    Head of drama series Odetta Watkins admitted to Bloomberg: “Citadel needs time to grow in the US as the audience have become jaded.”

    Even The Rings of Power (budget: USD 400 million-plus) failed to hold on to most of its viewers over the course of the season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

    Last year, Amazon spent USD 7 billion on producing original shows, licensed programs, and sports content while Netflix and Disney spent more on streaming, Bloomberg said.

    Amazon escapes scrutiny as it doesn’t report detailed financial results for its studio or Prime, the report added.

    Amazon.com Inc. CEO Andy Jassy has demanded a detailed budget analysis after a number of recent shows including Priyanka Chopra starrer Citadel derailed in the market, a Bloomberg report said.

    He has been “scrutinizing the studio’s ballooning costs and mixed track record with audiences”, it said.

    The outlet reported that 27,000 people will be laid off from Amazon as part of cost-cutting and that nearly 37 “unnecessary” productions have been killed.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    In the past nine months, Amazon’s original shows such as Daisy Jones & the Six, The Power, Dead Ringers, and The Peripheral all cost more than USD 100 million to produce but failed to make it to Nielsen’s list of the 10 most-watched streaming programs in the US. 

    Citadel is a spy thriller series that was released on 28 April with a massive star cast including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and Stanley Cummings. 

    In the show, Richard and Priyanka play spies who are part of the independent global spy agency Citadel. It gets destroyed by the Manticore, a powerful syndicate, and the agents’ memories get wiped. They then embark on a mission around the world to stop Manticore.

    Josh Appelbaum (‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’), Bryan Oh, and David Weil created the series for Amazon Prime Video, with ‘Marvel’ films fame Russo brothers acting as executive producers.

    The series is a passion project of Jen Salke’s, who leads the studio, and who wanted “a global series that could take place in multiple locations and lead to country-specific spinoffs.” An Indian version of Citadel directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan is under production while an Italian adaptation is already ready.

    The first season of Citadel was intended to have a budget of USD 20 million per episode and run for eight episodes but the budget ballooned due to cost overruns caused by the pandemic as well as a creative overhaul (Russo Brothers Anthony and Joseph insisted on several reshoots.) Only six episodes were aired in the end. 

    However, the first season was produced with an estimated budget that was above USD 300 million (nearly Rs 2,500 crores), making it the second-most expensive show after The Rings of Power.

    Joe Russo has been appointed as the sole director of the second season of Citadel, reportedly receiving a payment of USD 25 million for it.

    Head of drama series Odetta Watkins admitted to Bloomberg: “Citadel needs time to grow in the US as the audience have become jaded.”

    Even The Rings of Power (budget: USD 400 million-plus) failed to hold on to most of its viewers over the course of the season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

    Last year, Amazon spent USD 7 billion on producing original shows, licensed programs, and sports content while Netflix and Disney spent more on streaming, Bloomberg said.

    Amazon escapes scrutiny as it doesn’t report detailed financial results for its studio or Prime, the report added.

  • The Rings of Power: Forgers of the rings, Celebrimbor and Elrond

    Express News Service

    Actors Charles Edwards and Robert Aramayo had quite different shoes to fill in The Rings of Power as Celebrimbor and Elrond, respectively. While the former plays a role that has scanty references in the Tolkienian world including The Lord of The Rings, the latter plays a fan-favourite lead character that has immense importance in both the book and the Peter Jackson trilogy.

    Aramayo states that Elrond is a different character in the new prequel, as he is young and curious to learn more from life, as opposed to the laid-back version portrayed by Hugo Weaving. Edwards, on the other hand, feels that playing an important character that created the rings of power with meager information is his biggest challenge.

    Excerpts:

    How do you think the lively Elrond in The Rings of Power becomes jaded in The Lord Of The Rings?Aramayo: Elrond witnesses many defeats and equally fruitless victories in his long life span, I guess that makes him indifferent to everything around him. But my version has just begun and he hasn’t lived the numbing phase of his life.  

    Robert AramayoHow was Celebrimbor fleshed out as a complete character?Edwards: I have to thank showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay for it. Since they have a deep understanding of the Tolkienian world, it came in handy for them to fill in the gaps in my character. There is little information about him in the books. Everyone knows that he is the one who forges the rings, but nobody knows the path he crossed to reach there. It is a very unique character to play.

    Aramayo, you are a part of both The Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power. Did you notice any similarities?Aramayo: Both series are fantastic fantasies, which accommodate intriguing long-format storytelling. They are unique in their own ways. As an actor, I had very different responsibilities in both projects, so it would be hard for me to compare them. But I am just extremely glad that both the shows exist.

    Do you relate to Celebrimbor in any way?Edwards: Yes, I do. Celebrimbor is at a crossroads at the beginning of The Rings of Power. He isn’t satisfied with his creations and seeks a project to fulfil his thirst for excellence. I have been in a very similar space as an actor.

    Do you have a favourite scene from the episodes that premiered so far?Aramayo: I would pick Elrond’s first conversation with Prince Durin in Khazad-Dum. As we know, elves are taller and dwarves are shorter than average men. Fitting both Elrond and Durin in the same frame was quite a challenging task. Usually, in such cases, they shoot it with dummies instead of the other person using VFX. But  Owain Arthur and I were present during our individual shots maintaining eye contact to make sure the emotions were real.

    Edwards: Thankfully, our directors asked us to focus only on emotions and not on the technicalities. So it becomes easy for us to be in sync with the character as much as possible. The entire cast shared great chemistry on the sets and we worked with the happiness of creating something beautiful. I guess it has translated well on screen.

    Why do you think The Rings of Power warrants a watch from the non-fans of the book?Aramayo: It is an accessible fantasy series that requires no knowledge of Tolkien to get engrossed. Apart from men, it has other beings and it is quite interesting to see the world through their eyes.Edwards: The Rings of Power is a very inclusive and hugely diverse series, both in terms of its characters and actors. Tolkien often speaks touchingly about the human condition of being alive and its purpose in his books. I see this is a universal theme and it is prevalent in our show. Such explorations are timeless.  

    Actors Charles Edwards and Robert Aramayo had quite different shoes to fill in The Rings of Power as Celebrimbor and Elrond, respectively. While the former plays a role that has scanty references in the Tolkienian world including The Lord of The Rings, the latter plays a fan-favourite lead character that has immense importance in both the book and the Peter Jackson trilogy.

    Aramayo states that Elrond is a different character in the new prequel, as he is young and curious to learn more from life, as opposed to the laid-back version portrayed by Hugo Weaving. Edwards, on the other hand, feels that playing an important character that created the rings of power with meager information is his biggest challenge.

    Excerpts:

    How do you think the lively Elrond in The Rings of Power becomes jaded in The Lord Of The Rings?
    Aramayo: Elrond witnesses many defeats and equally fruitless victories in his long life span, I guess that makes him indifferent to everything around him. But my version has just begun and he hasn’t lived the numbing phase of his life.  

    Robert AramayoHow was Celebrimbor fleshed out as a complete character?
    Edwards: I have to thank showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay for it. Since they have a deep understanding of the Tolkienian world, it came in handy for them to fill in the gaps in my character. There is little information about him in the books. Everyone knows that he is the one who forges the rings, but nobody knows the path he crossed to reach there. It is a very unique character to play.

    Aramayo, you are a part of both The Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power. Did you notice any similarities?
    Aramayo: Both series are fantastic fantasies, which accommodate intriguing long-format storytelling. They are unique in their own ways. As an actor, I had very different responsibilities in both projects, so it would be hard for me to compare them. But I am just extremely glad that both the shows exist.

    Do you relate to Celebrimbor in any way?
    Edwards: Yes, I do. Celebrimbor is at a crossroads at the beginning of The Rings of Power. He isn’t satisfied with his creations and seeks a project to fulfil his thirst for excellence. I have been in a very similar space as an actor.

    Do you have a favourite scene from the episodes that premiered so far?
    Aramayo: I would pick Elrond’s first conversation with Prince Durin in Khazad-Dum. As we know, elves are taller and dwarves are shorter than average men. Fitting both Elrond and Durin in the same frame was quite a challenging task. Usually, in such cases, they shoot it with dummies instead of the other person using VFX. But  Owain Arthur and I were present during our individual shots maintaining eye contact to make sure the emotions were real.

    Edwards: Thankfully, our directors asked us to focus only on emotions and not on the technicalities. So it becomes easy for us to be in sync with the character as much as possible. The entire cast shared great chemistry on the sets and we worked with the happiness of creating something beautiful. I guess it has translated well on screen.

    Why do you think The Rings of Power warrants a watch from the non-fans of the book?
    Aramayo: It is an accessible fantasy series that requires no knowledge of Tolkien to get engrossed. Apart from men, it has other beings and it is quite interesting to see the world through their eyes.
    Edwards: The Rings of Power is a very inclusive and hugely diverse series, both in terms of its characters and actors. Tolkien often speaks touchingly about the human condition of being alive and its purpose in his books. I see this is a universal theme and it is prevalent in our show. Such explorations are timeless. 
     

  • ‘It’s been beyond our imagination’:  Morfydd Clark on ‘The Rings of Power’

    Express News Service

    British actor Morfydd Clark tells Katie Ellis about stepping into Cate Blanchett’s shoes to play Galadriel in The Rings of Power, her fascination with elf ears, and how her Welsh roots helped her learn Elvish

    How did you feel about playing Galadriel in The Rings of Power?It was just beyond my wildest dreams. I grew up reading the Lord of the Rings books. I was 11 years old when the films came out, so this world has been a part of my life for a really long time.We have had conversations about Galadriel and now this is my job. So yeah, it was amazing to find me suddenly on the set as her.

    Cate Blanchett played Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings movies. What was it like to follow in the footsteps of someone like her?Overwhelming. I think for all of us in this cast, it’s beyond what we ever dared to imagine could happen. It’s a case of just accepting that it’s not going to feel necessarily normal or natural at first, but then just try to enjoy it all. Doing all of the amazing things we did made it easier.

    Did you speak to Blanchett about playing Galadriel?I didn’t talk to her, but I thought about her all of the time. Honestly, I was obsessed with those films, so it still feels very surreal to be here now.  

    What do you hope this show and your performance will bring to the character that we have perhaps not seen before?My intention was always to explore the serenity that Galadriel has. I wanted to show how it is hard-earned and it comes through trials. Hopefully, the audience will see that and more.

    Tell us about Galadriel’s armour.First of all, it’s like a Rubik’s Cube in terms of getting it on. There would always be at least four people working on me at one time to put it on me, but her armour is amazing. I really felt like some kind of medieval queen and that I was being prepared for something huge.It was wonderful. I got to know that costume very well.

    What about the elf ears?Everyone asks me about the ears (laughs). I never thought the ears were going to be the topic of so many conversations. The truth is that there was a whole team of people behind my ears. There was an amazing prosthetics artist, Irina Strukova, painting them day and night with beautiful tiny veins. I love my ears. The first time I got them on, I was shocked at just how flattering they are because they elongate your cheekbones. I was like, ‘This is a look’.

    Where do we find Galadriel at the beginning of this prequel series?At the beginning, Galadriel is convinced that there is an evil rising in Middle Earth, but no one else agrees with her. So she is on a quest to be believed in, even though she is one of the oldest elves. She has seen a lot of terrible things. She has lost so many members of her family and is grieving and homesick. She can’t believe that life could ever be peaceful and good. She turns out to be right.

    How hard was it to learn Elvish?As soon as I picked up The Hobbit as a child, my mum was like, ‘You’re reading that? Did you know that Elvish is based on Welsh?’ I have always been so grateful for talking in and respecting the language of my country. So I felt lucky to be Welsh while learning it.

    Of all the skills you had to learn for the show, which one was the greatest challenge?I thought the greatest challenge for me was just generally to believe that I could do those things. In the first few weeks I was like, ‘I can’t actually do any of this’, but we had amazing teachers who got us over that hump with the climbing, the free-diving and everything else.

    What message do you have for the fans of the Lord of the Rings?I would just encourage people to have an open mind and try to take the opportunity to enjoy the show. We had a wonderful group of people working on this and I’m really proud to be part of it.

    Finally, how would you sum up your time playing Galadriel?It’s been an experience like no other.

    Asia Features

    British actor Morfydd Clark tells Katie Ellis about stepping into Cate Blanchett’s shoes to play Galadriel in The Rings of Power, her fascination with elf ears, and how her Welsh roots helped her learn Elvish

    How did you feel about playing Galadriel in The Rings of Power?
    It was just beyond my wildest dreams. I grew up reading the Lord of the Rings books. I was 11 years old when the films came out, so this world has been a part of my life for a really long time.
    We have had conversations about Galadriel and now this is my job. So yeah, it was amazing to find me suddenly on the set as her.

    Cate Blanchett played Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings movies. What was it like to follow in the footsteps of someone like her?
    Overwhelming. I think for all of us in this cast, it’s beyond what we ever dared to imagine could happen. It’s a case of just accepting that it’s not going to feel necessarily normal or natural at first, but then just try to enjoy it all. Doing all of the amazing things we did made it easier.

    Did you speak to Blanchett about playing Galadriel?
    I didn’t talk to her, but I thought about her all of the time. Honestly, I was obsessed with those films, so it still feels very surreal to be here now.  

    What do you hope this show and your performance will bring to the character that we have perhaps not seen before?
    My intention was always to explore the serenity that Galadriel has. I wanted to show how it is hard-earned and it comes through trials. Hopefully, the audience will see that and more.

    Tell us about Galadriel’s armour.
    First of all, it’s like a Rubik’s Cube in terms of getting it on. There would always be at least four people working on me at one time to put it on me, but her armour is amazing. I really felt like some kind of medieval queen and that I was being prepared for something huge.
    It was wonderful. I got to know that costume very well.

    What about the elf ears?
    Everyone asks me about the ears (laughs). I never thought the ears were going to be the topic of so many conversations. The truth is that there was a whole team of people behind my ears. There was an amazing prosthetics artist, Irina Strukova, painting them day and night with beautiful tiny veins. I love my ears. The first time I got them on, I was shocked at just how flattering they are because they elongate your cheekbones. I was like, ‘This is a look’.

    Where do we find Galadriel at the beginning of this prequel series?
    At the beginning, Galadriel is convinced that there is an evil rising in Middle Earth, but no one else agrees with her. So she is on a quest to be believed in, even though she is one of the oldest elves. She has seen a lot of terrible things. She has lost so many members of her family and is grieving and homesick. She can’t believe that life could ever be peaceful and good. She turns out to be right.

    How hard was it to learn Elvish?
    As soon as I picked up The Hobbit as a child, my mum was like, ‘You’re reading that? Did you know that Elvish is based on Welsh?’ I have always been so grateful for talking in and respecting the language of my country. So I felt lucky to be Welsh while learning it.

    Of all the skills you had to learn for the show, which one was the greatest challenge?
    I thought the greatest challenge for me was just generally to believe that I could do those things. In the first few weeks I was like, ‘I can’t actually do any of this’, but we had amazing teachers who got us over that hump with the climbing, the free-diving and everything else.

    What message do you have for the fans of the Lord of the Rings?
    I would just encourage people to have an open mind and try to take the opportunity to enjoy the show. We had a wonderful group of people working on this and I’m really proud to be part of it.

    Finally, how would you sum up your time playing Galadriel?
    It’s been an experience like no other.

    Asia Features

  • ‘The Rings of Power was a transformative experience’: Nazanin Boniadi

    Express News Service

    The first two episodes of The Rings of Power take viewers on a trip to where it all started: Middle Earth and introduces us to characters we know and don’t know from Tolkien’s world. Out of the many new characters created for The Rings of Power, the mother-son duo Bronwyn and Theo, have managed to stand out.

    Played by Nazanin Boniadi of How I Met Your Mother fame, and the new kid on the block, Tyroe Muhafdin, these two roles were exclusively created for this Lord of The Rings prequel. We have already seen Theo taking possession of Sauron’s sword and Bronwyn taking down an orc, and with all theories suggesting they have a lot more to offer, we ask the two actors about their characters and what can be expected.

    Tyroe shares that this is just the beginning. “Theo is trying to find a purpose for his existence, like any teenager, but he is exposed to something extremely powerful and uncontrollable.  He begins to find his purpose through this sword, which we all know has a dark history.”

    Tyroe finds comfort in spending time with the sword as he is conflicted by his mother being in a relationship with an elf.

    Though the mother-son duo has a love-hate relationship in the series, Nazanin states that her character Bronwyn would go to any extent to be with his son. “It is a relationship with angst and tension, but what keeps them together is the underlying love.”

    Interestingly, the onscreen bond of the actors has apparently transferred offscreen too and Nazanin shares that she has almost become Tyroe’s second mother in real life. “I really love him and feel he is a part of my family. I believe that our kinship is translating on screen,” she says.

    Bronwyn is a healer in the series and Nazanin, having been a premed student, finds this relatable. “I wanted to become a doctor at one point, and I was able to channel the healer persona in me for this role. Also, my experience as an activist helped me bring in the resilience, compassion and tenacity the character needed.”

    Tyroe, however, had a more challenging experience playing Theo. “I am nothing like Theo, who is very serious. I can never be that serious. Having fun is my purpose in life,” he says. But the common ground he shared with his role is in how both suppress emotions.

    “Theo does not express sadness and anger till it reaches boiling point. I believe a lot of people of my age go through this phase. I am glad I am able to represent them.”

    Nazanin, who had previously been a part of Hotel Mumbai (2018), hopes to work in Bollywood films in the future. “My parents grew up consuming Bollywood cinema, and in Iran, the films are still extremely popular. I believe Indian cinema brings a lot of joy to the world and getting a chance to be a part of it would be amazing.” She goes on to share her love for India.

    “I remember it for its kindness and warmth. Staying here has been most memorable.”

    Speaking about the series, she believes that The Rings of Power must be consumed as the fantasy experience it is meant to be. “A good fantasy transports us to a world that is both timeless and timely. The Lord of The Rings has been a rare franchise that connects to people regardless of when and where they live. The Rings of Power is more of an exploration of human dilemmas and emotions.”

    Tyroe seconds her: “We touch upon hope, love, trust and the ever-present good vs evil battle. These are present in everyone’s life, and I believe the series can make for a cathartic experience.”

    That’s perhaps why Nazanin calls working in this series a “transformative experience”. “We shot during the pandemic, at a time when the entire world was shut down. We were one of the few very fortunate actors to be working then, as the entire shooting happened in New Zealand, a country that was free from the virus.”

    She remembers feeling a lot of gratitude. “Many of my colleagues didn’t have much work and I realised that I could have been in their shoes.

    This realisation transformed me into a more appreciative and thankful person.” Tyroe considers the time he shot for the series as a self-explorative phase.

    “I count my blessings. I was too young to experience this scale of goodness. I also began to learn a lot about myself and now better understand my strengths and weaknesses as a person and actor.”

    Nazanin believes that ‘destiny’ brought together the ensemble cast of The Rings of Power. “Our creator JD Payne often says that he cast us in the series as he saw a part of middle earth in our eyes. All our personal and professional experiences have come together to create something beautiful,” she signs off.  

    The first two episodes of The Rings of Power take viewers on a trip to where it all started: Middle Earth and introduces us to characters we know and don’t know from Tolkien’s world. Out of the many new characters created for The Rings of Power, the mother-son duo Bronwyn and Theo, have managed to stand out.

    Played by Nazanin Boniadi of How I Met Your Mother fame, and the new kid on the block, Tyroe Muhafdin, these two roles were exclusively created for this Lord of The Rings prequel. We have already seen Theo taking possession of Sauron’s sword and Bronwyn taking down an orc, and with all theories suggesting they have a lot more to offer, we ask the two actors about their characters and what can be expected.

    Tyroe shares that this is just the beginning. “Theo is trying to find a purpose for his existence, like any teenager, but he is exposed to something extremely powerful and uncontrollable.  He begins to find his purpose through this sword, which we all know has a dark history.”

    Tyroe finds comfort in spending time with the sword as he is conflicted by his mother being in a relationship with an elf.

    Though the mother-son duo has a love-hate relationship in the series, Nazanin states that her character Bronwyn would go to any extent to be with his son. “It is a relationship with angst and tension, but what keeps them together is the underlying love.”

    Interestingly, the onscreen bond of the actors has apparently transferred offscreen too and Nazanin shares that she has almost become Tyroe’s second mother in real life. “I really love him and feel he is a part of my family. I believe that our kinship is translating on screen,” she says.

    Bronwyn is a healer in the series and Nazanin, having been a premed student, finds this relatable. “I wanted to become a doctor at one point, and I was able to channel the healer persona in me for this role. Also, my experience as an activist helped me bring in the resilience, compassion and tenacity the character needed.”

    Tyroe, however, had a more challenging experience playing Theo. “I am nothing like Theo, who is very serious. I can never be that serious. Having fun is my purpose in life,” he says. But the common ground he shared with his role is in how both suppress emotions.

    “Theo does not express sadness and anger till it reaches boiling point. I believe a lot of people of my age go through this phase. I am glad I am able to represent them.”

    Nazanin, who had previously been a part of Hotel Mumbai (2018), hopes to work in Bollywood films in the future. “My parents grew up consuming Bollywood cinema, and in Iran, the films are still extremely popular. I believe Indian cinema brings a lot of joy to the world and getting a chance to be a part of it would be amazing.” She goes on to share her love for India.

    “I remember it for its kindness and warmth. Staying here has been most memorable.”

    Speaking about the series, she believes that The Rings of Power must be consumed as the fantasy experience it is meant to be. “A good fantasy transports us to a world that is both timeless and timely. The Lord of The Rings has been a rare franchise that connects to people regardless of when and where they live. The Rings of Power is more of an exploration of human dilemmas and emotions.”

    Tyroe seconds her: “We touch upon hope, love, trust and the ever-present good vs evil battle. These are present in everyone’s life, and I believe the series can make for a cathartic experience.”

    That’s perhaps why Nazanin calls working in this series a “transformative experience”. “We shot during the pandemic, at a time when the entire world was shut down. We were one of the few very fortunate actors to be working then, as the entire shooting happened in New Zealand, a country that was free from the virus.”

    She remembers feeling a lot of gratitude. “Many of my colleagues didn’t have much work and I realised that I could have been in their shoes.

    This realisation transformed me into a more appreciative and thankful person.” Tyroe considers the time he shot for the series as a self-explorative phase.

    “I count my blessings. I was too young to experience this scale of goodness. I also began to learn a lot about myself and now better understand my strengths and weaknesses as a person and actor.”

    Nazanin believes that ‘destiny’ brought together the ensemble cast of The Rings of Power. “Our creator JD Payne often says that he cast us in the series as he saw a part of middle earth in our eyes. All our personal and professional experiences have come together to create something beautiful,” she signs off. 
     

  • Jeff Bezos thanks ‘Rings of Power’ makers for ignoring his notes on the show

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Amazon head honcho Jeff Bezos thanked ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ showrunners Patrick McKay and John D. Payne at the UK premiere of the Amazon Prime Video series on Tuesday night – for ignoring his notes on the show.

    “Every showrunner’s dream – and I mean every showrunner – their dream is to get notes on scripts and early cuts from the founder and executive chairman,” Bezos quipped while introducing the first two episodes of the series.

    “They loved that. I need to thank you both for listening whenever it helped but mostly I need to thank you for ignoring me at exactly the right times.”

    Bezos also shared that there had been reservations about picking McKay and Payne, who have just a handful of credits between them, to helm the eye-wateringly expensive blockbuster series, saying: “One of the best decisions we made was to bet on this relatively unknown team. Some people even questioned our choice. But we saw something special.

    “J.D., Patrick, thank you for taking this on and putting your whole selves into it. Everybody here in this audience, you are all about to see that we made the right choice.”

    In a rare speech, the Amazon head told the audience, which included Tokien’s grandson Michael Tolkien, Amazon Studio boss Jennifer Salke, head of television Vernon Sanders, castmembers, press and even some fans dressed in full Middle Earth cosplay, that he himself first became enamoured with the fantasy books as a teenager and that his Tolkien-obsessed son had warned him not to “eff up” the series.

    “My grandfather’s the one who introduced me to Tolkien,” said Bezos.

    “I fell in love immediately, I was probably 13 or 14 years old. I fell in love with the adventure of course, with the detailed universe, with the feelings of hope and optimism, with the idea that everybody has a role to play. And I’m happy to report that that cycle continues today. My kids have become Tolkien fans as well.”

    “In fact, one of my boys I think approaches the level of a Tolkien scholar, he knows so much about this universe. And after Amazon got involved in this project, my son came up to me one day, he looked me in the eyes, very sincerely, and he said: ‘Dad, please don’t eff this up’. And he was right. We know that this world is important to so many people, we know it’s a privilege to work inside this world and we know it’s a big responsibility.”

    Salke also took the stage before the show screened to thank Bezos, the cast and crew and in particular the Tolkien estate “for their trust and partnership.”

    It is understood that Amazon Studios struck a deal directly with the Tolkien estate to license the IP, enabling them to bypass the Saul Zaentz Company, who until last month controlled all the screen rights except for television series more than eight episodes long. The Prime Video series consists of eight episodes.

    Also walking the red carpet at the London premiere were castmembers including Sir Lenny Henry, who plays Sadoc Burrows, Morfydd Clark, who plays the elf Galadriel (the younger version of the character played by Cate Blanchett in the Peter Jackson adaptation) and Markella Kavenagh, who plays the adventurous ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot.

    LOS ANGELES: Amazon head honcho Jeff Bezos thanked ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ showrunners Patrick McKay and John D. Payne at the UK premiere of the Amazon Prime Video series on Tuesday night – for ignoring his notes on the show.

    “Every showrunner’s dream – and I mean every showrunner – their dream is to get notes on scripts and early cuts from the founder and executive chairman,” Bezos quipped while introducing the first two episodes of the series.

    “They loved that. I need to thank you both for listening whenever it helped but mostly I need to thank you for ignoring me at exactly the right times.”

    Bezos also shared that there had been reservations about picking McKay and Payne, who have just a handful of credits between them, to helm the eye-wateringly expensive blockbuster series, saying: “One of the best decisions we made was to bet on this relatively unknown team. Some people even questioned our choice. But we saw something special.

    “J.D., Patrick, thank you for taking this on and putting your whole selves into it. Everybody here in this audience, you are all about to see that we made the right choice.”

    In a rare speech, the Amazon head told the audience, which included Tokien’s grandson Michael Tolkien, Amazon Studio boss Jennifer Salke, head of television Vernon Sanders, castmembers, press and even some fans dressed in full Middle Earth cosplay, that he himself first became enamoured with the fantasy books as a teenager and that his Tolkien-obsessed son had warned him not to “eff up” the series.

    “My grandfather’s the one who introduced me to Tolkien,” said Bezos.

    “I fell in love immediately, I was probably 13 or 14 years old. I fell in love with the adventure of course, with the detailed universe, with the feelings of hope and optimism, with the idea that everybody has a role to play. And I’m happy to report that that cycle continues today. My kids have become Tolkien fans as well.”

    “In fact, one of my boys I think approaches the level of a Tolkien scholar, he knows so much about this universe. And after Amazon got involved in this project, my son came up to me one day, he looked me in the eyes, very sincerely, and he said: ‘Dad, please don’t eff this up’. And he was right. We know that this world is important to so many people, we know it’s a privilege to work inside this world and we know it’s a big responsibility.”

    Salke also took the stage before the show screened to thank Bezos, the cast and crew and in particular the Tolkien estate “for their trust and partnership.”

    It is understood that Amazon Studios struck a deal directly with the Tolkien estate to license the IP, enabling them to bypass the Saul Zaentz Company, who until last month controlled all the screen rights except for television series more than eight episodes long. The Prime Video series consists of eight episodes.

    Also walking the red carpet at the London premiere were castmembers including Sir Lenny Henry, who plays Sadoc Burrows, Morfydd Clark, who plays the elf Galadriel (the younger version of the character played by Cate Blanchett in the Peter Jackson adaptation) and Markella Kavenagh, who plays the adventurous ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot.