Despite the fact that Lord of the Rings: Rings Of Power shares a name, location, and even some characters with the iconic Lord of the Rings franchise, the show’s executive producer does not want you to think you know what’s about to happen on the show, which takes place nearly 2,000 years before our familiar fellowship friends embark on their journey.
Executive producer Lindsey Weber stopped by Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast to set the record straight about what to expect from the highly-anticipated (and expensive) series. “The first thing I would say is we don’t really think of it as a prequel, though it is before,” Weber explained. “Something about the word prequel seems to suggest you need to know what comes later to appreciate it. It’s sort of like an appendage to a preexisting thing, and we don’t feel that way about this.”
Even though fans might be familiar with some of the storylines and references, Weber says that this story is for everyone, not just seasoned fans of Tolkien’s universe. “This is a story that you can appreciate if you’ve not read the books, if you’ve not seen the movies, there is an on-ramp for you,” Weber added. “This could be your first introduction to Middle-earth and we would be honored if it does become that for people, and it winds up turning people on to read the books – it would be a thrill for us.”
Of course, there are some familiar faces that might appear. When a curious character only named “The Stranger” appeared in the season premiere, many were speculating that he is a much younger incarnation of everybody’s favorite wizard Gandalf. Weber won’t reveal any more about the stranger, but she did give a cryptic clue: “What I can say is that he is a bit of an onion with many layers to peel. And I think it will be a fun journey for fans to peel as the season goes along.” Onions? Layers? Perhaps this is a Shrek crossover event.