“The Hobbit” isn’t the only Middle-earth prequel story that Warner Bros. Discovery could pull from. “The Silmarillion” is an even more expansive collection of Middle-earth mythology that J.R.R. Tolkien meant to be published as a separate volume alongside “The Lord of the Rings.” However, the publishers weren’t particularly interested. The collection was later published posthumously by his son, Christopher Tolkien, with the greater story behind Middle-earth — including the world’s creation by Eru Ilúvatar, the awakening of the Elves, and the fall of Númenor — written in detail within this text. These stories are, of course, referenced in “The Lord of the Rings,” both the books and films, and are of particular importance to the world of Middle-earth.
In 2022, Amazon Prime Video decided to adapt the Second Age of Middle-earth with their series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” Unfortunately, those behind “Rings of Power” don’t have the entire “Silmarillion” to work from (they can only use Tolkien’s appendices as inspiration), and that’s been to the show’s detriment. The Amazon series, which relies more on style than substance, feels more disconnected from Tolkien’s literary work than any other adaptation, and while there is some glint of decent material in there, it’s a bit too generic to stand out. A poor proxy for Tolkien’s legendarium, indeed. Hopefully, that will change in subsequent seasons, but thus far, “Rings of Power” doesn’t give us much hope for Middle-earth’s future, or its past.
