As the show steps into the past, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is seeing a turn towards diversity with its major ensemble cast. Set thousands of years prior to J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, the Prime Video series will explore Middle-earth during its Second Age.
Amazon acquired the TV rights to The Lord of the Rings in a major $250 million purchase with plans for a five-season production commitment expected to cost the streaming service $1 billion to make.
In anticipation of the show's premiere, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with stars Ismael Cruz Córdova and Nazanin Boniadi to discuss The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, their characters' relationship and bringing their own cultural representation to the franchise.
Screen Rant: I'm excited to talk about this show, I'm looking forward to when I can finally watch it. For now, I'm on the edge of my seat. What was it about The Rings of Power that really drew both of you to want to be a part of the project?
Ismael Cruz Córdova: I think for me, when I first came in to contact with the franchise and with Tolkien's work, I felt very connected to the soul of the work, especially the elves, I honestly always had a secret desire to be an elf. As we went on and saw that elves were represented in ways that I could see myself in, it added even another layer of desire to wanting to be part of this fantasy world. So all those things converging and having the opportunity of bringing this bada-- character in this incredible epic world, it just felt like an opportunity that I had to pursue and have to be part of.
Nazanin Boniadi: Yeah, me too. I love that inspiring people to dream is so beautiful and to be able to transport people to somewhere else, another time, another era, another world and introduce characters that are magical and fantastical, it just all is so appealing.
The relationship between Arondir and Bronwyn is one of the most interesting dynamics for your individual characters. What was it like for you to coming up with a rapport off camera?
Nazanin Boniadi: We had an instant connection, we are both activists off screen, we have a deep-rooted connection to wanting to make the world a better, more equitable place and to serve our communities. There's so many things we have in common in overcoming against-all-odds challenges. And, I mean, he's very easy to work with and that, I think, helped with bringing this romance to life. That's, at least for me, he's gonna say something entirely different. [Chuckles]
Ismael Cruz Córdova: Yeah, I don't like her. [Laughs] I echo all of it, we came together and we shared many layers of values, personal, professional, artistic, that we wanted to bring in, especially the commitment of wanting to do right by these roles and make something that had layers of importance, not only for the fans, the existing fans, but also for the new school, especially those fans that look like us.
Did you work with the writers and the directors to add little bits of influence for your characters to offer a representation of your real communities?
Ismael Cruz Córdova: Absolutely, I'm gonna take it, from the script to certain things that perhaps could enhance the relationship and make it come with representation that was even deeper or more layered, but also even adding cultural aspects to my action work and martial arts or the physical movements that I do in the show, the physical language. I brought in capoeira, which is and Afro-Brazilian martial art and I wanted to have that involved as well. The world of Middle-earth is distilled, of course, and mixed with several other influences to create something original, but yeah, the soul of that is there.
Nazanin Boniadi: And luckily, the creators were very open to that collaboration. I felt like I could bring in my experience, I was pre-med, so I have sort of experience in the healing sciences and Bronwyn is a healer and she's also trying to liberate her people and I'm a longtime activist from my homeland, Iran. So there were definitely things that resonated with the character that I was able to sort of bring in and tap into for portraying this role.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Synopsis
Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
Check out our interviews with the The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast at SDCC 2022, as well as with stars Markella Kavenagh & Megan Richards, Cynthia Addai-Robinson & Trystan Gavelle, Owain Arthur & Sophia Nomvete, Maxim Baldry & Lloyd Owen, and Benjamin Walker.
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More: The Rings Of Power: What To Expect From The Lord Of The Rings Show
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hits Prime Video on September 2.