2 ‘Ring’ makers talk to Aleteia about Tolkien and more

Set to premiere this Thursday, August 29, Season 2 of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues the story of the elf Galadriel and her quest to thwart the rise of Sauron in the Second Age of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Dwarves, harfoots, orcs, and humans are also slowly drawn into the conflict.

Of course, Tolkien himself never got around to writing about these events beyond a short summary in the appendices of Lord of the Rings and various notes. With the backing of the Tolkien Estate, and following Tolkien’s lead, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have taken up the challenge to imagine exactly how Sauron might have first come into power and arranged for the forging of the nine rings meant for elves, dwarves, and men, along with the One Ring that would allow Sauron to “rule them all.”

As in Season 1, there are several storylines and multiple characters to keep track of. And once the scripts were ready, McKay’s and Payne’s vision had to be realized on screen – a daunting task considering the scope of the action, and all the locations, sets, costumes, props, special effects, etc. involved.

Aleteia set down with Patrick McKay and producer Lindsey Weber to discuss some of the challenges of bringing Rings of Power to life. Knowing that McKay is a huge Tolkien fan, I was also curious how the series has impacted his view of the legendary writer.

Here is our discussion.

Aleteia: First of all, how has working on 'Rings of Power' changed your understanding and appreciation of Tolkien and his works?

Lindsey Weber: Great question.

Patrick McKay: Really great question. I would say I came to this as a fan of the books. I read the books when I was like 13-14, you know, and loved it like the entire rest of the world. But I think I had, if anything, underestimated the absolute amazing depth and richness of his imagination. It is never ending. You drop a rock -- there is no bottom in the hole that you can go down when it comes to Tolkien and Middle-earth.

Aleteia: Producing and writing a series like this, with so many storylines, actors, different directors, locations and whatnot: How do you maintain a unified vision when you're doing something this incredibly complex?

Patrick McKay: I like to think that when you're producing something like this, it's the same as if you're writing a novel. You're trying to listen to what it wants to be and you're constantly sculpting, sculpting, sculpting, trimming, shaping, you know, trying to listen to the inherent gravity that the piece already has. And so, you hope that listening to that will give (the show) a unified quality and then you never know what to expect when you actually watch the first rough cut.

At least through a couple seasons, we've been pretty delighted at the sense that the show seems to have a gravity all its own. And in some ways, sometimes we feel like we're the ones on the ride and we're just here as stewards trying to will it into being.

Lindsey Weber: I have to add to that because I have a different perspective as a person who's not the writer. He is one of the showrunners and writers. I'm the non-writing producer and I have to say it's remarkable to me how much Patrick and his partner J.D. have such a clear vision for what they want this story to be.  

I always think one of the hardest parts of producing is knowing when to say yes and say no; and they are so good at saying yes to creative ideas from our amazing collaborators like our department heads and our directors and our cast -- but also saying no when it strays too far from what they know the story wants to be. And I do think it is in part their real vision for the totality of the series that has come through and that impresses me day in and day out as we've done this now for years.

Patrick McKay: If it feels that way, then we're pulling off some kind of a magic trick. (He laughs.)

Aleteia: I know it's incredibly challenging to do something like this. What's the one most challenging thing for each of you in working on this series?

Patrick McKay: Wow!

Lindsey Weber: Finding enough hours in the day. That is usually the hardest part. There's always something to do it, always more you could be doing. I'm always acutely aware that when I go to sleep at night, when I wake up in the morning, that there's more that I could have gotten done -- whether it's planning for something upcoming or trying to improve something that we're working on or anticipating something that we might run into along the way. So, keeping up with it is sort of a marathon and a sprint at the same time.

Patrick McKay: I don't love the blank page. Lots of writers don't, but I happen to work with a writing partner in J.D. where that is his favorite part and favorite thing. For me that part can't get over fast enough, but I could live in the editing room forever and I think he might say vice versa. (He laughs.)

Aleteia: Well, I'm looking forward to Season 2, and I hope you're enjoying the experience!

Lindsey Weber: Thank you. I think we are! Welcome back!