Peter Jackson Isn’t Involved With the ‘Lord of the Rings’ TV Series, But He Is Excited to Watch It

No, Peter Jackson isn’t involved with the Lord of the Rings TV series. Instead, JD Payne and Patrick McKay are developing the new show inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. And Jackson can’t wait to see what they come up with. The filmmaker says that the series will give him a chance to experience Lord of the Rings in a way he never could with his own movies.

There’s been some confusion regarding Peter Jackson’s involvement in Amazon’s super-expensive Lord of the Rings TV series. First, a rumor surfaced that Jackson was mulling over a decision to play a part in the show or not. Then, a story broke where Jackson flat-out said “I’m not involved at all in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series.” However, a follow-up statement from the filmmaker suggested otherwise, when he said: “What I’m actually doing right now is putting the creative team [behind the series] together.”

Now, however, it seems clear Jackson has no involvement with the series. And he’s perfectly fine with that. In an interview with ComicBook.com, the filmmaker says he’s “kind of looking forward” to watching the series when it arrives. Why? “I was a guy who didn’t get to see the Lord of the Rings like everybody else because I had to make it,” Jackson explains, “so I’m looking forward to seeing somebody else’s take on the Tolkien world.”

Jackson also added that he’s “not really” protective of the franchise, so he won’t be too upset if Payne and McKay’s vision differs from his own. Amazon dropped a staggering amount of money to snap up the rights to a Lord of the Rings TV series, and rumor has it the show is destined for a billion dollar budget. Specifics regarding just what the show is about vary. The official release simply describe the series as follows:

“Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.”

In other words, it’s a prequel. One rumor states the series would focus on young Aragorn, the character played by Viggo Mortensen in the films. There’s also already talk of a spin-off series. Payne and McKay are an up and coming creative team who worked on the script for Star Trek 4. When the duo were announced to develop and write the Lord of the Rings series, they issued the following statement:

“The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity. We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.”

Jackson’s work on the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy is a towering achievement. Over the course of a massive production, Jackson and company created vast, epic, sprawling adventure set in a wholly believable world. And then they made the Hobbit movies, and screwed it up. I will forever cherish Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and forever scorn the stilted, nearly unwatchable Hobbit films. With that in mind, perhaps it really is best that Jackson hand this series off to a new creative team.

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