Thread by @latimes

Inside Amazon’s #LordOfTheRings’ series, the most expensive TV show ever made. lat.ms/3cAHdKY

Early reactions to the series have been mostly positive, with praise directed toward the diverse cast and more prominent female characters.

For comparison, most of the lead characters in Peter Jackson’s #LOTR film trilogy were portrayed by white men. lat.ms/3cAHdKY

Studios have been under pressure to diversify their casts, and companies like Amazon have been proactive in addressing it.

#TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower prominently features female characters, including the franchise’s first Black dwarf princess. lat.ms/3cAHdKY

Some fans scoffed at the casting of Puerto Rican actor Ismael Cruz Córdova as an elven soldier when elves are described as light-skinned with long hair in Tolkien’s work. Amazon Studios’ head of TV, said there was an openness to cast the best actors. lat.ms/3cAHdKY

Córdova said his first DVD purchase was #TheLordOfTheRings: “When I first saw the movies, which were so influential, I felt spiritually represented there, but perhaps not [in] the image.” lat.ms/3cAHdKY

Jennifer Salke, the Amazon Studios Chief, stands by the diverse casting: “They want the show to represent the world that we live in and so we’re really proud of the cast that we have in the show.” lat.ms/3cAHdKY

Read @thewendylee and @MegJamesLAT’s deep dive into the making of the most expensive TV show ever made, Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” lat.ms/3cAHdKY