Andy Serkis heaps praise on 'Rings of Power': I really, really enjoyed watching it

English actor Andy Serkis has watched Amazon Studios' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' and has an opinion about it. 'Rings of Power', which is the prequel to JRR Tolkien's landmark fantasy novel 'The Lord of the Rings' and is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth. The series, though reviewed well, has received criticism from a section of Tolkien fans. Much of the criticism centres around the casting of people of colour in roles many believe is not accurate to the lore and white-skinned actors should have been cast instead. Serkis rose to fame by essaying the role of Gollum through motion capture in Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

He reprised the role in Jackson's 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' as well.

Also Read:'The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power' review: A majestic fantasy TV series worthy of JRR Tolkien

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While speaking to Collider, Serkis praised 'Rings of Power'. “Yeah, I absolutely watched it, and it really - once you get through understanding the rules of it, and actually how loyal to the trilogy and the feel of the trilogy music by Howard Shore for the opening sequence, et cetera - I found it incredibly engaging, and I really, really enjoyed watching it,” he said.

Based on the world created by Tolkien, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' does not specifically adapt any of his works. Instead, it expands upon the lore and world-building he did in the appendices attached to his magnum opus, 'The Lord of the Rings'.

As the subtitle of this JD Payne and Patrick McKay creation suggests, the series is based on the forging of Rings of Power, and is thus set when Sauron was an individual and not a flaming eye he became in the Third Age. 'The Lord of the Rings' centred around the War of the Ring, when Frodo and his allies took on the might of the Dark Lord and destroyed the One Ring.

The series budget of $1.25 billion. This includes the $250 million amount that took for Amazon to get rights to Middle-earth, and $1 billion for the production of the series.

Wion's review of the season 1 read, "'The Rings of Power' world-building is intimate and expansive at the same time. Even the newbies to the franchise should not have any problem following the events of the show. The major characters, a few of which (Galadriel and Elrond) would be familiar to the fans of the film trilogy, are all sketched with impressive detail. The production quality and filming in actual locations lend a sense of realness to a story that, ironically enough, comes under fantasy."