The Lord Of The Rings' Hobbit Stars Stand Up For Diversity On The Rings Of Power
Amazon's risky and costly "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" show has, for the most part, been a rousing success for the streamer. The epic fantasy prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" has received quite a bit of praise from critics, leaving some of them suitably impressed with the show. It has also drawn in quite a large audience, pulling in 25 million global viewers in its first 24 hours (per Variety). Granted, there are still six episodes left to air that could either make or break fan opinion on the series, but so far, everything is working in its favor.
However, it's not all roses and smiling elves for "The Rings of Power." The show has predictably been the victim of a review bombing campaign by what appears to be a racist subset of the J.R.R. Tolkien fanbase, who believe that the author intended for his characters to exclusively be played by white actors in this clearly-fiction, clearly-fantastical world. Many have chimed in with their opinions about what this means, especially those who believe that this flies directly in the face of Tolkien's own beliefs (per The Hollywood Reporter). But now it looks as if some cast members from "The Lord of the Rings" films are standing up for diversity when it comes to "The Rings of Power" and its cast.
The Lord of the Rings stars proclaim that everyone is welcome in Middle-earth
Following the racist backlash against "The Rings of Power," former "The Lord of the Rings" cast members have firmly made their position on the matter clear. Over on Elijah Wood's Twitter, the star posted a photo of himself alongside Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan wearing shirts that proclaim in Elvish, "You are all welcome here." Alongside the text are various elf ears in different skin tones, clearly showcasing that they stand behind the show's drive for inclusivity. Sean Astin also posted a photo on his Twitter wearing a hat with the same imagery.
Fifty percent of the proceeds for the merchandise, which were created by Don Marshall, will be going to an as-of-yet unselected charity that directly benefits people of color, according to the official site. While this likely won't stop the tide of toxic backlash from certain parts of the fandom, it's encouraging to see beloved cast members of "The Lord of the Rings" movies stepping up and showing their support for "The Rings of Power" cast.