Lord Of The Rings Fans Need To Learn From Star Wars Before It’s Too Late

by

The Lord of the Rings is about to enter a new phase, but some recent developments suggest the upcoming films might face challenges. Peter Jackson’s original trilogy – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King – was incredibly popular in the early 2000s.

While George Lucas was releasing the Star Wars prequels between 1999 and 2005, Peter Jackson’s films were becoming hugely popular and setting the standard for fantasy movies. This contrasted sharply with the negative reaction to Lucas’s prequels. Even today, Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is widely considered one of the greatest fantasy movie series ever made.

Despite the success of The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy based on The Hobbit wasn’t well-received. One problem was stretching a single book into three films, which felt excessive and led to storytelling problems, particularly in maintaining audience interest. The films were such a disappointment that many thought the entire franchise was finished.

Recently, interest in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world has surged thanks to new adaptations. In 2022, Prime Video released the streaming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and in 2024, the animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim came out in cinemas. Now, season 3 of The Rings of Power is on its way, and two more movies are planned: The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.

This is a big change for the Lord of the Rings series, and early signs suggest fans should learn from the experiences of Star Wars fans and adjust their expectations now, before it’s too late.

Star Wars Has Suffered Because Of Toxic Nostalgia

It’s common to blame the criticism of Star Wars on Disney’s 2012 purchase of the franchise, but the truth is, the series faced strong negative reactions well before George Lucas stepped down. The prequel trilogy first bore the brunt of this, with actors like Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks) and Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker) experiencing harsh treatment from both the media and fans.

Although the movies had real problems, including the writing, the negative reactions to the actors themselves were unjustified. A lot of the criticism wasn’t about the films’ quality, but rather came from fans who were overly attached to the original movies. Many adult fans who loved the originals simply didn’t think the new films measured up, and this disappointment fueled a lot of the negativity.

A large segment of fans was always likely to dislike any continuation of the original series, simply because they were so attached to the past. This pattern has continued, and recent Star Wars films and shows have faced even harsher criticism fueled by overly strong nostalgia.

The later movies, despite their own problems, faced similar criticism. While The Rise of Skywalker is often considered the weakest Star Wars film, many fans seemed determined to dislike the new installments, particularly because Disney was in charge. This pattern has continued with recent TV shows, which have been met with instant negativity from fans. Unfortunately, this constant backlash has severely damaged the franchise, making many new projects feel destined to fail before they even come out.

The Lord Of The Rings Is On Track For The Same Fate

The new Lord of the Rings movies are already facing criticism, despite limited information being available. The first film announced, The Hunt for Gollum, will be set during the 17-year gap at the start of The Fellowship of the Ring. It will focus on Aragorn and Gandalf’s quest to find Gollum before their enemies can capture and interrogate him.

Ian McKellen will definitely return as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood is almost certainly reprising his role as Frodo. However, it’s unlikely Viggo Mortensen will be back as Aragorn. He was incredibly popular in the role, and many believe no one could replace him. While fans would love to see him return, at 67, it’s understandable why he wouldn’t take the part again.

This situation has unfortunately sparked harsh criticism towards actors being considered for the role of Aragorn. Some fans have even threatened to boycott the movie if the part is recast – a familiar reaction within the Star Wars community. The fan-made project, Shadow of the Past, has received similar negativity. In fact, mirroring a frequent complaint from Star Wars fans, many are claiming this new Lord of the Rings movie is unwanted and unnecessary, despite a lot of excitement surrounding it.

Fans are worried this new movie might not live up to the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, especially since it’s set over a decade after The Return of the King – a sequel even J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t approve of – and also during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. While this understandably makes fans anxious, it’s important to remember the mistakes made by Star Wars fans and avoid repeating them with this franchise.

Fans Need To Give The Hunt For Gollum And Shadow Of The Past A Chance

As a longtime moviegoer, I’ve been watching a really worrying trend with franchises I love, and Star Wars is a prime example. It seems like every new project—whether it’s a film or a TV show—is immediately bombarded with negativity. Sure, there are plenty of excited fans, but their enthusiasm gets completely overshadowed by the sheer volume of hate. It’s honestly become damaging, to the point where the franchise now feels defined by that negativity, and it’s killing the joy for everyone – even me. It’s a real shame to see, and frankly, it’s a dangerous pattern for any beloved series.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings should keep an open mind. The upcoming seasons of The Rings of Power, particularly season 3 titled Shadow of the Past, and The Hunt for Gollum, promise exciting and well-made content, but they deserve a chance to prove it before fans dismiss them.

Read More

2026-04-12 17:30