Get All Access for $5/mo

'Tolkien is Turning in His Grave': Elon Musk Slams Jeff Bezos' Latest Project Prime Video premiered its Lord of the Rings adaptation, "The Rings of Power," last week -- and reviews from fans haven't been great.

By Emily Rella

Ben Rothstein/Prime Video via Amazon Studios
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video via Amazon Studios

Amazon's long-anticipated The Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power, premiered on Sept. 2, and viewers are tuning in.

The company announced that more than 25 million viewers around the world watched the series on its first day — a record debut for a Prime Video series.

Still, high viewership doesn't always mean the best reviews from fans. Though the show has received a positive 83% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes so far, some fans of the series have found the show to be confusing and too far-off from the films and book series.

One such fan critic was Elon Musk, a longtime rival of Bezos', who took to Twitter to slam the series and inadvertently, Bezos.

"Tolkien is turning in his grave," Musk bluntly wrote. "Almost every male character so far is a coward, a jerk or both. Only Galadriel is brave, smart and nice."

Over the weekend, Amazon paused reviews for the series after "review bombers" flooded the show with negative reviews, many thought to be trolls trying to bring down the show's overall rating. Amazon did not specify when Prime Video reviews would be unlocked.

The only reviews still left up of the show are on Rotten Tomatoes, where the premiere of the new series received a 34% audience review score, many taking up grievances with the show's plot and writing.

"There is ZERO of Tolkien's vision in this show," one reviewer said. "Yes there are pretty pictures in some of the show but the acting is Daytime TV quality."

Watch the official trailer for the show below:

The show was expected to receive early criticism by trolls after social media flooded with jokes and negative comments about Bezos and his involvement when the show was announced earlier this year.

In fact, even Bezos admitted that his own son was skeptical of the show's adaptation of the original Lord of the Rings universe.

"After Amazon got involved in this project, my son came up to me one day, he looked me in the eyes, very sincerely, and he said: 'Dad, please don't eff this up.' And he was right," Bezos told a live audience at the UK premiere of the series.

The Rings of Power will release episodes weekly on Fridays, with a total of 8 episodes in the series.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Marketing

5 SEO Hacks to Help You Rank Fast

Discover the best SEO hacks you can use to rank fast and avoid waiting for months to see results.

Starting a Business

Inside the Exclusive Private Club Devoted to Food, Wine and the Arts

Barrett Wissman breaks down the passions and partnerships behind his latest venture Domus Artium Reserve.

Business News

Elon Musk Threatens to Ban Employees from Using Apple Products, Says Will Lock Devices in 'Cages'

The Tesla founder sounded off on X following Apple's 2024 Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday.

Collaboration

Watch Out for These 5 Consequences of Too Much Collaboration

Beware of the collaboration trap! Too much collaboration causes overload, and well-intentioned efforts to have broad collaboration can backfire.

Science & Technology

Why We Shouldn't Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

Facing resistance to new technologies in the educational process is nothing new, and AI is no exception. Yet, this powerful tool is set to overcome these challenges and revolutionize education, preparing students and professionals for a future of unparalleled efficiency and personalized learning.