Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill has slammed spin-off series The Rings of Power as a ‘money-making venture’, insisting he’s not interested in watching it.
The actor starred as King Théoden in the original trilogy, and has said he had a ‘wonderful time’ filming the beloved movies.
However, when asked if he’s watched Prime Video’s prequel series, which is set thousands of years before the original films, Bernard responded: ‘No, not interested.’
‘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,’ he added.
Asked if he believes the franchise would have been better if it were left as just the original trilogy, he continued: ‘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.’
Bernard, 77, who has also starred in the likes of Titanic and the Clint Eastwood film True Crime, appeared in the Lord of the Rings films alongside stars including Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) and Orlando Bloom (Legolas).
The Rings of Power recently came to Prime Video and quickly became one of the most popular shows to ever hit the streaming service.
It attracted more than 25million global viewers on its first day, breaking previous records.
The series brought to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.
This drama is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
It takes 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 one of the greatest villains 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.
The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video.
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