So...Amazon is making a series based on lore from Lord of the Rings, which is controversial in it's own right, but the trailer has put people's knickers in a twist because of the racial diversity of the cast, which detractors claim is not loyal to Tolkien's Middle Earth world or Norse mythology in general.
Having just rewatched the trilogy, I noticed there were a few non European looking extras. I've also heard there were black elves in Norse mythology.
Amazon is apparently including the diversity angle in their marketing strategy. The series will be their biggest production yet, so of course they want to guarantee a wide appeal.
Should racial diversity in a TV or film cast matter?
In a Middle Earth setting, would this racial inclusivity seem less authentic and perhaps come across as pandering to contemporary sociopolitical trends?
I personally think the more pressing question is how good will the story be. If the writing, photography, acting, editing and music are good, what else really matters?
If they are already taking liberties with the source material, who cares how they cast the show?
In any event, there's a whole cottage industry building up around bashing the project, focusing mostly on the diversity thing.
Very 2022.