Lord of the Rings Actor Says Tolkien is ‘Spinning in His Grave’ About TV Series

John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, isn’t a fan of Warner Bros.’ decision to develop a TV series about J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous books. The show, which was reportedly being shopped around to multiple networks two weeks ago, was confirmed to be moving forward at Amazon on Monday. Amazon has expressed an interest in pursuing more fantasy, science fiction, and comic book material for its streaming service.

Additionally, Amazon Studios has officially ordered the series with a multi-season commitment. The series is expected to take place prior to the events of the first movie in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. Details have not been released on the characters featured in the show or the plot.

In an interview with Den of Geek about his new horror film, Aux, John Rhys-Davies shared his thoughts on the news that Lord of the Rings is being adapted to a TV series by Amazon. While pointing out that Amazon has the money to finance the show, Rhys-Davies admits to being “slightly baffled” as to why the show needs to be made in the first place. According to Rhys-Davies, the people making the show “are so utterly unprincipled and greedy for money” that Tolkien must be “spinning in his grave.”

Rhys-Davies adds that the point of the show isn’t to make it better, but to make more money. The Welsh actor suggests that instead of using the Lord of the Rings name, creators should instead look to the works of other writers who have created their own fantasy worlds with elves and dwarves. Rhys-Davies says that producing a show or film like that could still serve as a “great tribute to Tolkien.”

Since the prequel series was confirmed, fans have voiced feelings of both excitement and disapproval. Some echo Rhys-Davies’ thoughts by saying that Lord of the Rings should be left alone, while others are looking forward to new stories set in Middle Earth. It could be that the series, if successful, will lead to even more stories. After all, Amazon’s deal with Warner Bros. includes a potential spin-off.

Whatever happens with the new Lord of the Rings series, one thing we can be sure of is that Rhys-Davies won’t be watching.