Two epic fantasies, both alike in dignity, have arrived for fall TV.
With “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon” already two episodes into its first season and “Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” arriving this week on Prime Video, let’s check in on how they compare — but mostly differ.
Plot
“Rings of Power”: Set thousands of years before “The Hobbit,” “Rings of Power” begins in peace and is thrown into chaos as Lord Sauron rises, bringing evil to Middle-earth.
“House of the Dragon”: Two hundred years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” “House of the Dragon” sets its world inside the House Targaryen dynasty.
Cast
“Rings of Power”: Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charles Edwards, Benjamin Walker, Owain Arthur, Sophia Nomvete, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards and Sara Zwangobani
“House of the Dragon”: Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel and Rhys Ifans
Source material
“Rings of Power”: Where “The Hobbit” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy were pulled directly from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, “Rings of Power” combines lore from “The Silmarillion,” a collection of stories about Middle-earth published posthumously, published letters and the 12-volume “History of Middle-earth.”
“House of the Dragon”: “House of the Dragon” comes not from a novel but George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” an in-universe history of House Targaryen, complete with characters and major events.
Cost
“Rings of Power”: The first season came in at about $465 million, plus a reported $250 million for the rights
“House of the Dragon”: An estimated $20 million per episode for the first season, or $100 million in total
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