The team behind Amazon Prime Video’s The Rings of Power has officially addressed the racist hate that has been directed at the show and its cast since it premiered at the start of this month.
In a three-part statement, the team issued a statement condemning the racism, threats, and harassment that have been directed at castmates of the show. The statement explains that the world crafted by Tolkien was always meant to be multi-cultural and BIPOC in the fantasy world are here to stay.
“We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.
JRR Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together in fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil. Rings of Power reflects that. Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-Earth and they are here to stay.
Finally, all our love and fellowship go out to the fans supporting us, especially fans of color who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom. We see you, your bravery, and endless creativity. Your cosplays, fancams, fan art, and insights make this community a richer place and remind us of our purpose. You are valid, you are loved and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family — thanks for having our backs.”
These aren’t the first Lord of the Rings alumni to speak out about this issue. Earlier this week stars of the titular trilogy of films Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and Sean Astin all shared their support by posting images wearing shirts boasting ears of Tolkien characters will a variety of skin colors and the caption “You are all welcome here” written in Elvish.
Rings of Power isn’t the first time that Amazon has had to deal with racist trolls on its Prime Video streaming service. Previously the platform introduced a 72-hour buffer from a show’s release before reviews are tallied so that trolls can be weeded out, but for Rings of Power, reviews are yet to go live on the platform.
Outside of Rings of Power, other fantasy franchises have been hit with an influx of racially motivated hate including its biggest competitor HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.
As the series continues to air weekly, hopefully with the support of the franchise’s biggest stars this disgusting trend will cease to take place.