
How RINGS OF POWER Refuses to Let Writers’ Strike Impact Filming
By Movieguide® Contributor
Despite the ongoing writers’ strike, the Amazon Prime hit TV show THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER, has no plans to stop filming.
The show will, however, have to move forward without the talents of executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.
Due to WGA’s strike rules, Payne and McKay were barred from partaking in any writing duties while on set, as well as any creative decisions.
Instead, directors and other non-writing executive producers had to step in to fill the void.
Regardless of the worry for some, Payne and McKay previously planned for a writer’s strike and prepared the team to make Payne and McKay’s exit as easy as possible.
Movieguide® nominated the Season 1 finale for a Movieguide® Award due to its strong moral content. The new writers would do well to remember the show’s morality contributed to its success.
Movieguide® recently reported on the show’s record-breaking season premiere on Amazon Prime:
Amazon claimed that the debut of their new series, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER, brought in 25 million viewers worldwide on Sept. 2, Amazon Prime’s most successful premiere to date.
“It is somehow fitting that [J.R.R.] Tolkien’s stories — among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre — have led us to this proud moment,” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in a statement. “I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate — and to our showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, cast and crew — for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy. And it is the tens of millions of fans watching — clearly as passionate about Middle-earth as we are — who are our true measure of success.”
Amazon announced THE RINGS OF POWER is also their most expensive series yet, with just the first season costing 465 million in U.S. dollars.
Despite early comparisons to GAME OF THRONES, the debut episodes of the series—based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic “Lord of the Rings” series and Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations—upheld the values of the original work.
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