Neil Gaiman has seen ‘The Rings of Power’ and he’s really impressed

The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman heaps praise on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Gaiman announced on Twitter that he was attending a screening for the first two episodes of Amazon Prime’s s,eries and it went over very well. As a kid, the author had read The Silmarillion, the prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which recounts the ancient history, languages, and races in Middle-earth. He added that the television show was what he originally wanted from the book, and he’s eager to “watch the whole series when it drops, with enthusiasm.”

In a follow-up tweet, Gaiman further explained what he meant by his statement when a fellow fan also recalled being disappointed in The Silmarillion. It’s good to know that the story at least grew on him.

It’s an active time for fantasy series, with some of the biggest franchises becoming television series. The Sandman is Netflix’s recent success, House of the Dragon is HBO’s highest viewed premiere, and the highly anticipated Rings of Power is joining the fray. Rings of Power released an official trailer that reveals more action, characters, and more about Galadriel’s quest as a great evil rises in the realm.

As for The Sandman, fans are still hoping for a season two. The dark fantasy series has remained the number one TV series on Netflix for three weeks so far, and its two-part bonus episode, “Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope,” gave it another boost. Not only that, but Netflix released a deleted scene from the first episode involving the occultist Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance) and his son Alex (Laurie Kynaston).

Fans will be able to watch Rings of Power in select theaters on Aug. 31 ahead of the premiere for fans who just can’t wait for Sept. 2.