Original Lord of the Rings actor calls Rings of Power "a money-making venture"

Original Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill, who played King Théoden in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, has spoken out against The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. 

"No, not interested," the actor told Metro when asked if he'd watched Amazon's take on Middle-earth, adding: "It's a money-making venture and I'm not interested in watching that or being in it. Good luck to them and all that stuff but it's not like the real thing."

When Metro asked if the franchise should have been left at the original trilogy, Hill replied: "Completely, yes. I think they were pushing it when they made The Hobbit. The Hobbit's a tiny book. They did it well – they did it really, really well. They expanded it [but] I think you can only stretch a piece of elastic so far. I think they managed it in The Hobbit because there were some really good things in The Hobbit without a doubt."

While Hill might not be a fan of the Prime Video show, the series will be coming back for more seasons – and The Rings of Power season 2 is in production now. "Certainly, you look at audience response, and you see what characters people love, and what kinds of storytelling moves them," co-showrunner J.D. Payne has said of fan feedback. "I wouldn't say we're over-correcting for any of it, but we're certainly listening to people's responses."

There's no release date for The Rings of Power season 2 just yet, but while you wait, check out our guide to the best shows on Amazon Prime Video to fill out your watchlist.