News

Oscars are the most revered and sought-after award in the film industry. Even to be nominated for an Academy Award is a great achievement, let alone win one.

However, some movies are such embodiments of cinematic excellence that they bag the highest honor of the filmmaking realm in several categories. It will surely be a surprise to many, but the most Oscars ever won by a movie is 11, and three movies have done so in the 96 years of awards. And no, it’s not Titanic.

It is quite a complex task to rank masterpieces that the Academy highly acclaims. But here is an attempt to do just that.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Credits: New Line Cinema

First on the list is the movie with the highest Oscar wins of the 21st century. The epic conclusion to...

Turns out, we’ve been cheering for the wrong heroes in The Lord of the Rings all along. Sure Frodo and Aragorn stole the ultimate limelight, J.R.R. Tolkien himself pointed to a less glam, but far more heroic, character.

Elijah Wood in Lord of the Rings | Credits: New Line Cinema

Tolkien’s revelation broke the mold on who truly deserved the very title. The quiet endurance of this unsung figure didn’t just support the Fellowship; it saved the day.

Samwise Gamgee: The unsung hero J.R.R. Tolkien always knew deserved the spotlight J.R.R. Tolkien | Credits: YouTube/@BBC Global

Folks, we’ve all been watching The Lord of the Rings with the wrong hero in mind. J.R.R. Tolkien had a different champ – Samwise Gamgee. Tolkien, who served in the British military during World War I, based Sam on a figure he deeply admired: his batmen.

Few works have left as indelible a mark on the high fantasy genre as Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal books, the adventures of the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) not only redefined epic filmmaking but brought Tolkien's richly detailed world of Middle-earth to life. As Frodo and his loyal friend Sam (Sean Astin) embark on a perilous journey to destroy the One Ring with the help the Fellowship, the award-winning trilogy set the gold standard for adaptations of fantasy literature as one of the greatest film series ever made.

The Lord of the Rings series has since grown into a multimedia franchise which continues to revisit Tolkien's timeless world full of friendship, courage, and hope. Prime Video’s prequel series The Rings of Power takes viewers back to the Second Age of Middle-earth, exploring the forging of the Rings and the rise of their maker,...

There's no shortage of great modern fantasy books for kids to immerse themselves in, but millennials' childhoods were defined by several specific series. Like other generations, many millennials were introduced to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series in school. These classics make great entry-points into the fantasy genre, but they're old enough that their influence spans multiple generations.

By contrast, there are several fantasy series that made their debuts as millennials were coming of age, cementing themselves in the cohort's consciousness. Millennials grew up alongside these narratives, so they hold a special place in these readers' hearts. Whether they transported millennials to magic schools or introduced them to vampire romances, these books played an important role in their most formative years — and likely informed their fictional preferences long after.

Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling

If there's a single fantasy series that defined millennials' childhoods,...

As 2025 dawns, fans of several sci-fi and fantasy shows may be worried about incoming cancellations!

As great as it is to see a lot of sci-fi and fantasy shows rising up in the last few years, there's always the risk of some series ending sooner than expected. 2024 saw a lot of shows axed, many after just one year. That includes highly anticipated series like The Acolyte, Dead Boy Detectives and more. The same could happen in 2025, with several shows potentially on the chopping block.

Some are obvious due to lower viewership. Others may be huge and seemingly successful, but various factors could work against them. Here are 15 genre shows in danger of getting canceled this year.

Dónal Finn (Mat Cauthon) and the Heroes of the Horn. | The Wheel of Time The Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time is Prime Video's ongoing adaptation of the massive Wheel of Time book...

It's been many decades since J.R.R. Tolkien first published The Hobbit, creating one of the most beloved fantasy franchises. When Peter Jackson decided to adapt The Lord of the Rings novels into an epic trilogy, it was a significant risk, but it paid off in the end and resulted in another trilogy based on The Hobbit. However, the Lotr universe hasn't concluded yet, as The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will bring one of the best secondary characters of the franchise to the forefront. Gollum, played by Andy Serkis, is a complex figure in Lotr.

Gollum is enthralled by the One Ring and at war with himself throughout the story. He lives for many years and impacts the lives of both Bilbo and Frodo when they embark on their adventures. As time has progressed, it's clear that there's a deeper interest in Gollum and his origin story,...

2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in gaming that the fantasy and sci-fi genres have seen in a while. Flagship Aaa titles like Judas, Fable, Death Stranding 2, Marathon, and the recently-announced Elden Ring Nightreign promise a ton to sink our teeth into, while long-awaited indies like Citizen Sleeper 2, Slay the Spire 2, and Tales of the Shire add another spicy layer.

That’s why we’re excited to bring you our 10 most anticipated fantasy and sci-fi video games of 2025, to hopefully guide our gaming fans in the right direction and maybe inspire some of the non-gamers who may want to dip a toes into these warm waters.

There’s something for everyone here: narrative-heavy games inspired by tabletop RPGs; classic, first and third-person high fantasy; weird and wonderful games from some of the industry's most lauded auteurs; and even a very special life sim inspired by...

Those beginning to explore author J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books are sure to come across or hear about The Silmarillion—but what exactly is this book, and how does it fit with Frodo's story? Tolkien's The Silmarillion has been an even more prominent topic of conversation in recent years since the on-screen Lord of the Rings franchise has begun to grow. Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a prequel series set thousands of years before Frodo destroyed the One Ring, and part of this tale is found in The Silmarillion. Still, that's far from all this book describes.

Tolkien started his iconic fantasy series with the short novel The Hobbit, and the stories of Middle-earth exploded from there. The author expanded the tale into The Lord of the Rings series, which comprised six individual novels (often condensed into three...

Bollywood Mascot: The year 2025 is gearing up to be an unforgettable chapter in cinematic history, with a mix of blockbuster sequels, daring new projects, and creative explorations. As Hollywood aims to captivate global audiences, here’s a sneak peek at some of the most anticipated films scheduled to release.

Superhero Dominance Continues

Superhero fans are in for a treat in 2025. Marvel Studios will unleash Avengers: Secret Wars, which is expected to bring together an ensemble cast for an epic conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. DC’s Superman: Legacy, helmed by James Gunn, aims to refresh the iconic superhero’s story for a new generation.

Returning Favorites and Franchise Powerhouses

Several beloved franchises will return to the big screen, continuing their legacy:

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two promises high-stakes espionage and jaw-dropping stunts. Fast & Furious 11 will accelerate the action, potentially concluding the saga of Dom Toretto and his family.

The Wheel of Time TV series has announced new members joining the season 3 cast, and it should benefit Rand al'Thor's narrative going forward. Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series is one of the most beloved titles in fantasy, celebrated as a work that expanded on the tropes established in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, particularly in the sense of a more complex main protagonist. For all intents and purposes, Rand al'Thor is the Dragon Reborn; he fulfills the "chosen one" archetype, making it strange that Prime Video's TV adaptation hasn't given him the spotlight.

Amazon Prime Video began its adaptation of Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series back in 2021, and The Wheel of Time season 3 is set to return in March 2025. This season will combine story elements from The Shadow Rising, which is generally perceived as one of the best in the series, with the subsequent book,...

There were a few reasons underlying Denethor's distaste for Faramir in The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. Tolkien's seminal novel was released in three parts between 1954 and 1955, with each of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies adapting a part. Faramir and Denethor II were two of the most unfaithful characters in the movies, but they were masterpieces unto themselves. The characters are high fantasy legends, and digging deeper into Tolkien's lore explains a lot about them and their motivations, which weren't always totally clear in the cinematic franchise.

Faramir is one of the best characters in Lord of the Rings, so it was difficult to see him get the villain treatment in The Two Towers. Faramir was a hero from the start in the book but presented in a villainous light in the movie at first, stopping Frodo on his mission. Denethor was a just leader and bad father in the books,...

The Lord of the Rings genius Peter Jackson wasn’t exactly itching to join the The Rings of Power bandwagon. You’d think he’d be all in for another Middle-earth adventure, right? Nah, not really. Jackson had one very specific condition before he’d even consider getting involved.

Peter Jackson. | Image by Mike Walen, licenced under Cca-by-sa-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Spoiler alert: that condition wasn’t met, and Jackson gracefully bowed out. Turns out, even the king of Middle-earth has his limits.

Peter Jackson’s hypnotic wish: Watching The Rings of Power with fresh eyes The Orc family in The Rings of Power Season 2 | Credits: Amazon MGM

Peter Jackson had one condition for being part of The Rings of Power: he needed a clean slate to watch it as a fan. The legendary director, who brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to life, once joked about...

Sauron, one of Morgoth's followers, is the greatest villain in the world; The Lord of the Rings saw him finally defeated, but not totally without hope of return. Written by the father of modern fantasy, this book was published in three parts between 1954 and 1955. J. R. R. Tolkien's masterwork was expertly adapted into Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, which tackled one part of the book per movie. Sauron's reign of terror also came crashing to a halt at the end of Jackson's final Lord of the Rings movie, but one prophecy may have enabled a comeback.

The world of Lord of the Rings is far wider than just the book, and it contains a prophecy of a final battle that may have revived Sauron. The Silmarillion and many drafts written throughout Tolkien's career refer to the Dagor Dagorath, the battle that will destroy Middle-earth and its whole world,...

Lord of the Rings is one of the most beloved franchises in the world.

Originally conceived as a fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, the story began as a sequel to his 1937 children’s book The Hobbit.

The story follows a hobbit named Frodo who inherits the One Ring, which can destroy the entire world. As the reawakened evil Sauron goes after the Ring to secure his reign, Frodo teams up with eight others to destroy the Ring and defeat Sauron.

Originally intended to be a single volume, the work was published in three parts: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. It’s now one of best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold, leading to music, films, television, video games, and board games.

Over the years, the movies and TV shows have garnered significant acclaim among critics and fans alike.

A new The Lord of the Rings cosplay recreates one key moment from Fellowship of the Ring to stunning effect. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved novel series, Peter Jackson released the first of his Lord of the Rings movies in 2001, introducing audiences to Frodo (Elijah Wood) as he embarks on an epic quest to destroy the One Ring. Fellowship of the Ring, like the two sequels that followed, was a major hit and was widely celebrated, with Jackson earning praise for the ways in which he brought elements of Tolkien's world to life.

Now, photographer Christina Fischer shares a cosplay that recreates one intense scene from Jackson's first Lord of the Rings movie. The photograph features two Hobbits hiding beneath the roots of a large tree as a Nazgûl lurks ominously above, a slightly altered recreation of a scene in which Frodo, Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and...

One of the more ambiguous elements of The Lord of the Rings movies was Legolas' murder of Gríma Wormtongue, but Legolas had his reasons. Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies were full of puzzling decisions, but most of them made sense in the long run. Jackson made directorial decisions geared mostly at condensing his source material into three feature-length movies. Adapting The Lord of the Rings, the masterwork of fantasy's greatest writer, was no mean feat. J.R.R. Tolkien's novel was a vast, sprawling epic and Jackson had to change a lot, including Wormtongue's end.

But Wormtongue's death in the trilogy was oft-disputed among fans. In Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie, Legolas shot Gríma Wormtongue with an arrow,w and Wormtongue died at the top of Orthanc. This confused many fans as it seemed contrary to Legolas' normal kindness, and the...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim got a mixed reception on its December 13 launch, and Warner Bros.' Lord of the Rings romance problem could have something to do with it. The movie was perfectly inoffensive in many ways, and it was refreshing to get a theatrical release for a new anime movie, especially for the first-ever Lord of the Rings anime movie. Kenji Kamiyama's animated picture follows Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, which are undeniably tough acts to follow, but the romance difficulties loomed large.

As the only company that currently has the rights to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit novels into movies, Warner Bros. has a monopoly on Lord of the Rings films. Jackson launched a titan of a movie franchise with the first Lord of the Rings trilogy, debuting characters...

Available now on digital, The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim will be available on DVD and Blu-ray early March. Find all the details below.

If you thought the hype for The Lord Of The Rings was over, we have some news for you. Not only has The Rings Of Power been a major success on TV, Warner Bros is currently busy getting Hunt For Gollum off the ground and trying to get Viggo Mortensen to return to Middle-earth.

The studio’s slightly riskier take on the franchise came with The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim which arrived in UK cinemas on 13th December. The animated told the story of the king of Rohan and the titular conflict.

The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is now available digitally to buy or rent, but if you’re waiting for a physical release,...

There are several theories about how Theo's character in The Rings of Power could tie into greater Lord of the Rings lore, and I hope the Amazon show confirms the one that connects him to the founding of Rohan; the other possibilities are just too depressing. Theo is introduced in The Rings of Power season 1, and his dubious interest in a broken blade with Sauron's symbol on it has led many to believe he'll turn to darkness before the series is through.

Although this doesn't jibe with Theo's portrayal at the end of The Rings of Power season 1 or throughout season 2, there are ways it could happen. Of course, it's just as possible that Theo could be a completely original character, with the series never connecting him to J.R.R. Tolkien's books. There is a third option as well, and that's the one I'm hoping is confirmed in The...

The Rings of Power season 3 already has its perfect Adar replacement, and the Lord of the Rings show can give this new villain a story the Uruk never got. Although Sauron is The Rings of Power's Big Bad, Adar serves as a prominent antagonist in the first two seasons of the show. Adar's origin story gives him good reason to hate Sauron, but he also dislikes Galadriel and the other Elves. His goal of building a home for the Orcs leads to the destruction of the Southlands, and Adar seems content to trample anyone in the way of his plans.

Of course, The Rings of Power season 2's ending sees Adar realizing the error of his ways when he puts on Nenya — though this is tragically short-lived. As quickly as he agrees to pursue peace alongside Galadriel, he's betrayed by the Orcs and killed by Sauron. This eliminates any chance...

The Lord of the Rings movies made lots of changes to J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, and some of the most noticeable were during the Battle of Helm's Deep. This battle is one of Peter Jackson's most impressive set pieces, setting a standard for high fantasy battles in cinema worldwide. It comes toward the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie, which followed on from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first movie in the trilogy. Brutal and often hard to watch, Jackson's version of Helm's Deep was extraordinary but not always faithful.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies are renowned as some of the most faithful adaptations ever made, but diehard Lord of the Rings fans could point out the differences between the book and the movies for days on end. Some of the Warner Bros. movies'...

Several fantasy books have excellent villains that are just as compelling as the heroes. Fantasy is a broad genre with many compelling stories and complex characters, and there are even fantasy books where the protagonist is the villain. There is no limit to utilizing characters in a fantasy story, which is one of the reasons why it is such a great genre. Sometimes, the best part about a fantasy book is the side characters that boost the protagonist. Other times, the protagonist shines on their own.

Fantasy TV shows are usually defined by their villains, an example of how the antagonist is a critical part of any successful fantasy narrative. There are even several fantasy projects where the villain shines just as brightly as the heroes. That does not mean the heroes are less exciting; however, the antagonists are often so fascinating that they rival the heroic characters. Whether it...

The Lord of the Rings is full of iconic Elves and Galadriel is one of them, with a range of mysterious abilities. Galadriel is one of the most powerful Elves in The Lord of the Rings, but it isn't always obvious why, from watching the movies. Peter Jackson's acclaimed The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy adapted one part of J.R.R. Tolkien's novel per movie. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring represented part one - The Fellowship of the Ring. Galadriel was quite faithful to the book in this movie, showing herself to have magical insight.

However, the term "magic" was dubious in The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. Tolkien often associated it with evil in his legendarium, equating it more to the dark and artificial sorcery of Morgoth and Sauron than to the innate abilities of the Elves. Tolkien advised that...

When it comes to works of fantasy adaptation, The Lord of the Rings trilogy remains one of the most acclaimed and beloved. Peter Jackson directed all three installments, which were released in theaters between 2001 and 2003. The three movies, which serve as adaptations of the book series by author J.R.R. Tolkien, were all critically and commercially successful, and Jackson would ultimately return to the world of Middle-earth with his less successful Hobbit trilogy in the 2010s.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the movie that started it all, introducing Elijah Wood as Frodo and kicking off his quest to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. This installment was followed by The Two Towers, which features the climactic Battle of Helm's Deep, and finally by The Return of the King, the trilogy-capper that wraps up the stories of Lord of the Rings characters like Frodo,...

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is utilizing a worrisome strategy to attract fans of Peter Jackson's trilogy, but it might be necessary after the lackluster performance of The War of the Rohirrim. Warner Bros. is proving its commitment to expanding its Lord of the Rings franchise, with War of the Rohirrim bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth back to the big screen for the first time since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies debuted in 2014. The studio's next journey to Middle-earth is already planned, with The Hunt for Gollum aiming to hit theaters in 2026.

The Hunt for Gollum will be the first live-action Lord of the Rings movie in more than a decade, and it will be more closely connected to Jackson's films than War of the Rohirrim. While the animated project sees Miranda Otto returning as Éowyn to narrate the story, the...

Amazon’s TV series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has already learned that it can be risky to delve into the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novels and put on screen in Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning film trilogy. In fact, Jackson himself learned that when he followed his “Lord of the Rings” films with the three overstuffed and significantly less appreciated “Hobbit” movies.

But now the makers of the animated film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” are taking on an even more daunting challenge: They’re not only building a story only glancingly mentioned in Tolkien’s legendarium, but they’re doing so using the medium of anime, a distinctly different form from the CG-heavy live-action world that Jackson created.

For director Kenji Kamiyama, however, the different medium was an advantage. “Hand-drawn pictures give the audience room for imagination,...

J.R.R. Tolkien's famous The Lord of the Rings provided one Aragorn moment that would have benefited the movies, had it been shown. Published in three parts between 1954 and 1955, The Lord of the Rings is the masterpiece of British author Tolkien. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy adapted one part of the novel per movie, resulting in some of the best fantasy movies ever made. All three movies in Jackson's first Lord of the Rings trilogy are rated between 90% and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. But one Aragorn inclusion would have made them even better.

Released in 2001, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie debuted American actor Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. The epic high fantasy adventure movie sold Aragorn well as the classic knight in shining armor, journeying alongside the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring. Aragorn grew throughout the next movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers...

One of the most important details about The Lord of the Rings' Gandalf is his staff, which he changes multiple times throughout the movies. Gandalf is one of the most vital characters in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, with Ian McKellen playing the role in all six films. McKellen consistently delivers one of The Lord of the Rings' best performances and successfully brings one of J.R.R. Tolkien's most important characters to life.

Throughout Gandalf's many appearances, his staff is one of his defining features. The staff is not just used as a way to wield and enhance his magic, with Gandalf being capable of performing magic without a staff. Gandalf's staff has tremendous symbolic value, signifying his authority as a wizard and as one of The Lord of the Rings' Maiar. During his time as Gandalf the Grey and as Gandalf the White,...

One of the most incredible parts of The Lord of the Rings, or indeed any of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, is the depth and vibrancy of the languages he created. This is heavily due to the fact that, even before he first conceived of a Hobbit, Tolkien was a philologist — a scholar of languages. Tolkien's literary legacy is expansive, covering not only The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion, but massive amounts of notes and unfinished stories. His son Christopher Tolkien made curating Lord of the Rings' secondary material into his life's work.

Tolkien's corpus has persisted as one of the most popular fantasy franchises, in no small part because of his fictional languages, which help make Middle-earth feel as lived in as any part of the real world. That feeling is aided by the fact that Tolkien's canon is full of unanswered mysteries and half-remembered legends,...

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...

A key detail surrounding Grima Wormtongue's (Brad Dourif) story in The Lord of the Rings trilogy still makes no sense even considering the circumstances surrounding it. The Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson are considered the strongest adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's books, depicting Middle-earth impressively and telling the story of the War of the Ring richly and succinctly. That being said, some aspects of the Lord of the Rings films are left vague or go unexplored, which leaves behind questions the trilogy's ending does not account for.

While the differences from The Lord of the Rings books largely assisted in creating that streamlined story, parts of Tolkien's deliberate world-building were left behind — and these could have given more insight into minor characters. Several of those characters have more limited roles than their book counterparts, and portions of their lore are left to audience interpretation, allowing the story...

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is one of the most compelling fantasy book series ever written, and his expansive world-building throughout the saga is truly inspiring. Several modern fantasies are influenced by his incredible work, and it's no surprise his Lord of The Rings novels also became critically acclaimed movies. Tolkien's books focus on many fantastical creatures and races, but one population in particular is especially unique compared to the rest.

Tolkien's Hobbits are one of his more original creations, and their distinctive qualities make them easily recognizable compared to others. While they have many interesting traits, the Hobbits are known for walking around barefoot, with no need for shoes or protection — making Hobbits' feet a hot topic of discussion. Thankfully, Tolkien does briefly touch on their origins, and based on his books, it's likely Hobbits' feet were an evolutionary adaptation of Men.

The Hobbits' Hairy Feet In...

Maiar are some of the most powerful beings in The Lord of the Rings—but how do they rank among themselves? There are very few of these beings in Frodo's story, but Tolkien's extended legendarium emphasizes how vital the Maiar were throughout Arda's history. They took part in the creation of the universe and served under the higher-up Valar to help run the world. Maiar fought for good or evil, created and upheld beautiful features of Middle-earth, and one even fell in love with and married an Elf. However, not all Maiar were created equal.

The universe in The Lord of the Rings was created by a being called Eru Ilúvatar. To pull off this great task, he created a host of other beings—Valar and Maiar, together called the Ainur. The Valar were essentially gods, each with their own roles to assist Ilúvatar in running the world. Their angel-like servants were the Maiar,...

Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has introduced a large number of new characters and story elements into the Second Age of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. While tying in to the aesthetic for Middle-Earth established in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, Rings of Power is mostly creating its own version of events, as the show (and Jackson's films) is legally barred from using The Silmarillion, the primary source of Middle-Earth history, as source material.

Despite criticism, Amazon's streaming series has been successful enough that Rings of Power is getting a third season, meaning that the curtain hiding the show's many mysteries will continue to be pulled back slowly. One such mystery that has piqued the curiosity of viewers since the beginning is the significance of Theo, the young boy from the Southlands, who befriends Galadriel and Isildur.

Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve was chasing a legacy when creating Dune. And not just any legacy, but the one Peter Jackson carved with The Lord of the Rings. Villeneuve’s grand vision for Arrakis was more than just sandworms and spice. He wanted to create a cinematic epic that’d stand the test of time.

Denis Villeneuve | Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Inspired by how Jackson brought Middle-earth to life, Villeneuve went all in, turning Frank Herbert’s dense masterpiece into a sprawling saga for the big screen.

Denis Villeneuve’s vision for Dune: Inspired by Peter Jackson’s Lotr, but missing the Guild A still from Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Credits: Prime Video

When creating Dune, Denis Villeneuve used Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy as his one guiding light. Villeneuve revealed Jackson’s...

Orcs have long been seen as one-note villains in a lot of fantasy media, but Dungeons & Dragons’ latest revision is attempting to change this long-standing trope. As any fantasy fan knows, the genre can suffer from a (somewhat ironic) lack of creativity at times. Even today, many fantasy creators cling tightly to genre conventions established by the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien, which makes any changes, like DnD’s new orcs, feel threatening or unprecedented to some.

That said, DnD is far from the first fantasy property to challenge genre conventions surrounding a traditionally villainous race. Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel, Snuff, for instance, challenges readers to reconsider the mistreatment of goblins. With the growing popularity of Dungeons & Dragons in the last decade, it’s understandable that Wizards of the Coast would want to modernize some of the game’s elements, like the way orcs are depicted.

How D&d...

Decades back, Hideyuki Kikuchi gave us one of the most iconic vampire mangas of all time. From its gothic inspirations to its occult references, the series is a total banger.

From visuals to animation, Madhouse Studio left no stone unturned in exemplifying its brilliance. But like most mangaka, Kikuchi had his fair share of inspirations.

D in a still from the animated film | Credit: Madhouse

Regarding his story, he cited Lord of the Rings as one of his influences in an interview. The fantasy, occult, and dark aspects are blended well in the masterpiece.

But most of all, Kikuchi’s exploration of immortality and morality outlined the stigma and the societal norms. The vampires aren’t divorced from this hierarchy either, thus partaking in the discrepancies.

Hideyuki Kikuchi’s connection to The Lord of The Rings

Hideyuki Kikuchi is one of the most underappreciated names in the horror manga genre.

There are many mysteries wrapped up in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but one Theo riddle may be best left unsolved. The Rings of Power season 1 thrived on enigma, teasing the Stranger, Adar, and Halbrand as potential Saurons in hiding. The season 1 finale revealed Halbrand as Sauron, while season 2 launched into the mystery of the Stranger's identity, which was revealed in the season 2 finale. It goes without saying that suspense is a key feature of the show, but Theo may do better left out of this tactic.

The Rings of Power season 3 is surely set to tackle the identity of the Dark Wizard. This is a fair thread to pursue across the season and could easily culminate in another season-ending reveal, but the show may want to look into one big question about Theo as well. Theo is an original character in Rings of Power, beautifully portrayed by Tyroe Muhafidin.

Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are incredible masterpieces of detail, serving both as a loving tribute to J. R. R. Tolkien's epic novels and a display of the incredible skills possessed by the artisans of the Wētā Workshop. While there are plenty of differences between the Lord of the Rings movies and the books, the creative spirit on display shows a deep reverence for Tolkien's legendarium. The films bring Middle-Earth to life so that we can see how powerful magic items abound in Lord of the Rings, carried by mighty heroes and diminutive hobbits both.

The heart of The Lord of the Rings, and to a lesser extent The Hobbit, is a story about how the most innocent hero can succeed against a seemingly unassailable evil. Middle-Earth's history is full of humble heroes vanquishing Dark Lords like Morgoth, or other...

Sauron's rise to power in The Lord of the Rings stems from his ability to control the Rings of Power, and these objects have different effects on each of the groups they're given to. The three Elven rings aren't corrupted by Sauron, as they're crafted by Celebrimbor alone. However, the Dwarves' Rings of Power and the nine Rings for Men have devastating effects on their wearers. The Men of Middle-earth wearing the Rings of Power are turned into Ringwraiths, while the Dwarves' rings make them greedy and lead to their downfall.

The Dwarves' greed is shown in The Rings of Power season 2, with King Durin III trying to use the Rings of Power to manipulate the other Dwarven leaders to pay more taxes. He also digs too deeply in Khazad-dûm in the hopes of finding riches — a move that ultimately leads to his demise. While the Rings of Power are dangerous to everyone,...

This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim had some truly franchise-topping moments in its 134-minute runtime. This animated movie was released in December 2024 as the first anime picture of The Lord of the Rings, following the release of Ralph Bakshi's animated The Return of the King in 1980. The War of the Rohirrim movie is directed by Ghost in the Shell master Kenji Kamiyama. It brought decades' worth of anime expertise to fantasy's best franchise, creating some of The Lord of the Ring's best scenes.

The War of the Rohirrim picture is the first Lord of the Rings movie since 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This landmark moment met huge pressure, especially with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum set for launch in...

The 10 strongest Dwarves in The Lord of the Rings are some of fantasy's best heroes. Dwarves are one of the many species invented by high fantasy master J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, the masterpiece published in three parts between 1954 and 1955. They were adapted by Peter Jackson in his famous Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, with each movie adapting a part of the novel. From part one of the novel and Jackson's first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, Gimli, son of Glóin, gave the Dwarves a strong presence in the story.

But Gimli is just the best-known Dwarf of heroic stature in The Lord of the Rings, with plenty of others spread across the legendarium. Tolkien's first LotR release was actually based on Dwarves, that being The Hobbit, published in 1937. The hardy Dwarves only grew in lore and legend from there on out, coming to...

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings may be the world's most famous fantasy, but it still has some underrated characters. The novel, released in three parts between 1954 and 1955, introduced the world to the famous Fellowship of the Ring characters. These rapidly became archetypes of high fantasy leading roles, informing generations of writers for years to come and leading to franchises like Dungeons & Dragons, which are heavily based on Tolkien's work. And yet, some of the books' most influential characters still don't get enough attention in the fandom, book clubs, and adaptations.

Some of the Fellowship of the Ring and many of the supporting characters of LotR deserve more recognition for being total heroes, or otherwise, some of literature's best villains. Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies brought Tolkien's story to a global audience, where it had only had niche popularity before. The Lord of the Rings...

How To Train Your Dragon's upcoming live-action remake seems to be following in the footsteps of Lord of the Rings, which could be the key to elevating the franchise's live-action future. Set for a 2025 release, How to Train Your Dragons seems to be a faithful recreation of the modern animated classic, especially given the footage that has so far been released. This wasn't necessarily a sure deal, given the mixed reception live-action remakes of animated films have found in recent years.

In fact, the trailer's focus on the big emotional throughline of the original movies suggests that How To Train Your Dragon is indeed working to replicate the energy that elevated the original beyond other fantasy fare. It's the sort of approach that made Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy so good, as it worked to capture the authentic spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's original novels. If...

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novel is full of magical artifacts, and many were made by the Elves. Published in three parts between 1954 and 1955, the novel formed the basis of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which adapted a part of the novel per movie. Elves like Galadriel, Arwen, and Legolas featured heavily in Jackson's trilogy, but most of The Lord of the Rings' Elf lore was actually shared in The Silmarillion. This 1977 book of stories had been entrusted by Tolkien to his son for final editing and publishing after his passing.

The Silmarillion discusses the types of Elves in Middle-earth and their wide-ranging achievements. While the Dwarves were responsible for the mining of mithril and the resultant armor that sprang from it, the Elves created items imbued with special powers. Although Galadriel did not seem to consider her mirror magic in The Fellowship of the Ring,...

Featuring the voices of: Gaia Wise, Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Luke Pasqualino, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley, Benjamin Wainwright, Yazdan Qafouri | Written by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, Arty Papageorgiou | Directed by Kenji Kamiyama

It has been over 20 years since Peter Jackson’s adaptations of The Lord of the Rings were all released onto the big-screen. With box office takings that reach almost $3 billion worldwide, 17 Academy Award wins, and extended edition marathons which repeatedly show at cinemas, it is an understatement to call this adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels a success.

Ever since, there have been repeated attempts to recapture the success of that massively influential trilogy. Peter Jackson returned to direct a trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit, which may have replicated the financial success but fell short everywhere else. Amazon Prime Video released The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a streaming series focusing...

The Lord of the Rings is full of strong and mythical characters, but Galadriel is one of the most intriguing. She is one of the best characters in The Lord of the Rings movies and books, with Tolkien offering multiple different versions of her story. Her tale was full of myth and mystery - J.R.R. Tolkien couldn't quite decide where to place her on the purity scale. She sometimes seemed like an emblem of all that was good and holy and sometimes had more humanity to her, with pride and aggression woven in.

Cate Blanchett famously portrayed Galadriel in Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, offering the world the purer version of Galadriel. Dressed in white with a tangible hold on Lothlórien, Galadriel had power that could be physically felt by those in the woods, even when she wasn't reading their minds. Reigning in the woodland...

George R. R. Martin is one of the most celebrated fantasy authors of all time and has a hefty net worth as a result. He is best known for writing the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series, which was adapted into the wildly successful and Emmy-winning HBO series Game of Thrones. Martin worked closely on the series and continues to be heavily involved in the various spin-offs. The author has won numerous awards for his work, including five prestigious Hugo Awards, and was even named one of Time magazine's most influential people in 2011.

Martin grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, and was obsessed with science fiction from a young age. He credits Marvel Comics and Stan Lee as his biggest influences, even stating "Stan Lee is the greatest literary influence on me, even more than Shakespeare or Tolkien." (via BBC). Martin taught English at Clark University for a...

The debate about who would win in a battle between the Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore and The Lord of the Rings’ Gandalf the Grey, has been a topic of discussion for ages. So much so that even George R.R. Martin had once offered his take on the topic while appearing at the premiere of J.R.R. Tolkien’s biographical film.

George R.R. Martin | image: Sanna Pudas, licensed under Cc By 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When director Dome Karukoski’s biographical film Tolkien, starring Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins premiered in 2019 in Los Angeles, George R.R. Martin attended the event to express his love for the author and even praise the movie. Therein, after learning about Collins’ love for the Harry Potter films, Martin joined the debate about Dumbledore and Gandalf’s power and offered his verdict.

George R.R. Martin believes Gandalf could easily defeat Dumbledore in a duel

Appearing...

Gandalf facing the Balrog in the Mines of Moria is one of the most intense and memorable scenes from The Lord of the Rings, and there's a reason it has become so quotable. Whether fans are referring to J.R.R. Tolkien's book or Peter Jackson's movie adaptations, the line "You shall not pass!" — changed slightly from the source material's "You cannot pass" — stands out as one of the best Lord of the Rings quotes out there. Of course, that's not the only thing Gandalf says to the Balrog before it drags him into the depths of Moria.

Gandalf's dramatic speech raises the tensions as he draws on his magic to hold the Balrog off. However, some of his phrasing may prove perplexing for more casual Lord of the Rings fans — and perhaps even those versed in the source material. While the message behind "You cannot pass!" is clear enough,...