Warner Bros’ New Lord Of The Rings Movie Is A Fantastic Advert For Prime Video’s The Rings Of Power
Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power should see an increase in viewership after the release of Warner Bros.’ The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The War of the Rohirrim movie is the first anime Lord of the Rings movie, following in the footsteps of Ralph Bakshi’s animated The Return of the King in 1980. Directed by Japanese master Kenji Kamiyama, the new installment illustrates the benefits of adapting sidelined Tolkien stories for the screen, speaking to the appeal of Amazon’s Rings of Power.
Many may be drawn to the five-season show once they have witnessed the wonders on offer in Kamiyama’s War of the Rohirrim. Rings of Power season 1 emerged to a mixed reception but has amassed a higher viewership in its second outing. Since August 2024, Rings of Power’s second season has been converting ambivalent audience members into bonafide fans with its deep dive into Second Age Tolkien material. There are ultimately many reasons why those who liked War of the Rohirrim should turn to Rings of Power as their next watch.
War Of The Rohirrim & The Rings Of Power Both Adapt Lesser-Known Chapters Of Tolkien Lore, But TROP Does It Better
War of the Rohirrim and Rings of Power both take lesser-known Middle-earth stories and significantly change them to fit into their runtimes, but Rings of Power may do it a bit better. Kenji Kamiyama’s War of the Rohirrim adapts “The House of Eorl,” a short story from Lord of the Rings’ appendices. This story was only very roughly sketched out by the source material, leaving the movie to fill in lots of the blanks and change the story thematically to fit its commercial goals. Yet Rings of Power’s TV format may be more forgiving to this approach.
It isn’t always clear how War of the Rohirrim communicates Tolkien’s key themes.
Rings of Power adapts material from Lord of the Rings’ Second Age. Both Rings of Power and War of the Rohirrim productions thrive in the world created by legendary British author J. R. R. Tolkien. There is ample material for many more adaptations in Tolkien’s legendarium, but The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were the easiest stories to adapt. However, Rings of Power has more screen time to show how its original material tells the story Tolkien meant to tell, whereas it isn’t always clear how War of the Rohirrim communicates Tolkien’s key themes.
War Of The Rohirrim Shows How Good The Rings Of Power Actually Is
Rings of Power may have seen backlash among Tolkien fans, but War of the Rohirrim proves how good it actually is. The anime is great entertainment and hugely nostalgic, but arguably doesn’t capture the spirit of Middle-earth. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s book The Hobbit is very well-known and resulted in Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy, while the author’s masterpiece is The Lord of the Rings. This three-part novel was also adapted into the very renowned movie trilogy by Jackson. However, all other Tolkien tales have far less dialogue and psychological detail, and Rings of Power compensated for this better than War of the Rohirrim.
It is very difficult to adapt any Middle-earth content that isn’t The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. The source material for both War of the Rohirrim and Rings of Power lacks the clearly translatable elements that define the two main properties. However, Rings of Power has been able to create a strong narrative structure around some key events gradually taking shape, whereas War of the Rohirrim sometimes feels comparatively hollow. For instance, Rings of Power season 2 explores Sauron’s infiltration of Eregion and the forging of the Rings of Power, which was pure Tolkien and focused, powerful viewing.
In The Battle Of The LOTR Adaptations, Prime Video Is Ahead
There is room for many different series under the umbrella franchise of Lord of the Rings, but Rings of Power is looking particularly strong going into its third season. With five seasons planned, it could have been the case that the new Warner Bros. movies coming out over the next few years would diminish its impact, steal viewership away, or prove how much better it could have done things. But the opposite seems to be the case — War of the Rohirrim fans would love the show and even those who didn’t appreciate the movie could enjoy it.
“The House of Eorl” was supposed to communicate a sense of time, legend, family, and history. Acknowledging the context of the short story means understanding that it is meant to be read alongside Eorl’s family tree and the legends of other realms. However, War of the Rohirrim is anchored in its own time, more focused on telling a romance and war story that teases the origins of the War of the Ring. It touches upon the ancestry of Éowyn in her voice-over and its exploration of shieldmaidens, but could have delved deeper into Fréaláf and his link to Théoden.
Meanwhile, Rings of Power’s premise is thematically integral to the all-important story of Lord of the Rings as a whole. The central trilogy is about the dangers of extending one’s life unnaturally and how this relates to power and the seeking of it. The 20 Rings of Power do extend life and give their bearers power, so the show has a clearer route to being Tolkienian in investigating them. The source material of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power doesn’t always complement this, but even when this is so, it makes for a genuinely innovative fantasy show.
