Lord of the Rings fans, brace yourselves, for the gender-bending movement has come to Middle-earth.
Actress Robyn Malcolm, who played Morwen in The Two Towers, would like to see the role of Gandolf the Grey taken on by a female in the upcoming Amazon LOTR television series. In an interview with New Zealand magazine Stuff, the actress spoke about the new show, and how she thinks there should be a larger female presence in it, saying:
“Those old legends, those old mystical stories, they’re so based within a patriarchal landscape. Why not look at the magic of a matrilineal world where the magical powerhouses are women?”
I, along with my spellchecker, have never heard of the word “matrilineal” before. So, if you need to Google it, feel free to now.
Malcolm then went on to name her top picks for the role, saying the following before posting the below photo on Instagram:
“You need actors who have got gravitas and a real lot of personal power and a bit of brilliant – and they’ll take this in the absolute way that it’s meant – witchy poo energy, which those two have got and I aspire to.”
The two to which she was referring are actresses Rena Owen and Rachel House. They, along with seven other famous female celebs, are part of the aforementioned post where Malcolm shares who she thinks would make a kick-ass woman wizard.
Reading the replies on her photo, it seems that not many people agree with her. Gandalf is a huge part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic books and messing with such an iconic figure is a good way to start a riot. Among LOTR fans, that is. It’s like with James Bond; long-time, diehard fans are quick to anger when their favorite characters are messed with.
One of the responses makes the point that Malcolm only had a bit part in The Two Towers though, so who is she to try and mess with a classic? Obviously, that might be getting a little personal, but once again, it showcases the never ending battle between the call for more diversity in movies and the need to leave iconic characters alone.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter, though. Tell us, should Gandalf be female in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series? Take to the comments section and let us know.
