The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunner Patrick McKay addresses comparisons between his upcoming show and HBO’s Game of Thrones. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved novels, The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, chronicling the rise of evil in what were previously generally prosperous times. The show, which also hails from showrunner J. D. Payne, is already highly anticipated by fans of Tolkien’s source material and, in particular, fans of Peter Jackson’s acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Before the first trailer for The Rings of Power had even been announced, however, comparisons were drawn between it and Game of Thrones. First premiering in 2011 on HBO, Game of Thrones became one of the network’s most successful shows, adapting George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. McKay has already spoken about how The Rings of Power will not feature the same graphic violence and sex as Game of Thrones but, with the upcoming release of the spinoff show, House of the Dragon, many fans are again wondering how Prime Video’s anticipated The Lord of the Rings series will compare against HBO’s fantasy offerings.

At the Television Critic Association’s semi-annual press tour, per THR, McKay addressed comparisons between The Rings of Power and Game of Thrones. McKay explains that, while he understands why the comparisons are being made, it’s not something that he or co-showrunner Payne were concerned about during production. According to McKay, they were so focused on bringing Tolkien’s vast fantasy world to life in an authentic way that they actively tried to “drown out” what was going on with other properties operating in similar fantasy spaces. Check out McKay’s full comment below:

“We talked about this a lot. It comes up and we totally understand where the question comes from. We don’t think of the show in terms of what genre or other shows that might be out there. We think about [Tolkien], his life’s work was creating this world. This is Tolkien’s Middle Earth and regions beyond Middle Earth and we just wanted to be true to that and sort of drown out and forget about what might be happening in another realm someplace else…. Tolkien’s work is endlessly applicable across cultures and across times, and we feel really grateful to be able to bring it to life in our time.”

With both House of the Dragon and Rings of Power set to release within a few weeks of each other, many fans see the two shows as direct competitors. McKay’s sentiments echo comments made earlier this year by HBO Content Chief Casey Bloys, who expressed interest in focusing on his own work rather than worrying about what other creators and networks are doing. While it’s easy to see why the two shows would be compared and even pitted against each other, it seems that important figures involved in both The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon are focused mainly on creating the best version of their own respective shows.

Expectations are understandably high for The Rings of Power, especially considering the success of Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since the world of Game of Thrones is ultimately very different from the one in The Lord of the Rings, it’s likely for the best that creators and executives on both sides are focusing on their own shows instead of pondering how their work will compare to others. While it remains to be seen how both The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon will turn out, it’s evidently a great time to be a fan of fantasy television.