Upon watching Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones, we’ve all come across glaring similarities between the three fantasy projects. There’s no doubt that both J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin have been deeply influenced by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Particularly, A Song of Ice and Fire author has been an outspoken fan of Tolkien’s works.
Therefore, when director Dome Karukoski came up with his 2019 biographical film Tolkien, starring Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins – George R.R. Martin attended the world premiere. Addressing questions and expressing his deep admiration for the author, Martin surprisingly clapped back at Collins after she made a comparison between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
Admiring J.R.R. Tolkien’s Works George R.R. Martin Took Inspiration from Them
While we’ve all been aware of the similarities between Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin particularly admitted deriving inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works for his novel, A Song of Ice and Fire. Attending the premiere of the 20th-century author’s biographical film Tolkien in 2019, Martin told Variety about his respect and appreciation for the late author.
Beginning by stating how he was deeply inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, George R.R. Martin went on to joke that A Song of Ice and Fire, started off as a trilogy much like the story about Middle Earth, but ended up being seven books. Thereafter, the American author expressed his appreciation towards filmmaker Dome Karukoski, for making Tolkien’s biographical film “profoundly moving”.
He made me love the form he created – epic fantasy. He redefined fantasy of everything that had been before. I started doing a trilogy called ‘Game of Thrones.’ Now my trilogy is seven books – if I finish the last two.
[The movie was about] Tolkien’s love affair. His friendship. Him as a young man in his university years. And that influences what he would later write.
Praising Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins’ movie for avoiding cliches like highlighting the struggles of a writer, and instead focusing right where it should, George R.R. Martin hailed Tolkien. Further, as the interview proceeded, Hoult and Collins spoke about their personal connections to J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings series.
George R.R. Martin’s Sharp Retort to Lily Collins’ Admiration for Harry Potter
During the latter half of the interview at the Tolkien premiere, Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, and director Dome Karukoski spoke about the research that went into the movie, and each of them offered their individual take on the project. Therein, while Hoult spoke about his interest in the mind of the writer, Collins recalled her poetic experience, landing the role of Tolkien’s wife and muse Edith Bratt.
Claiming to have grown up reading The Lord of the Rings, which inspired her to audition for Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films, Lily Collins expressed her gratitude for finally getting the opportunity to be part of the Tolkien universe. However, despite being a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, Collins later expressed her enduring admiration for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, revealing it as her all-time favorite.
Surprisingly, following Lily Collins’ comments about J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, the actress was met with a bold response from George R.R. Martin. After openly acknowledging his deep inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal work, Martin couldn’t take kindly to Collins’ allegiance to the Wizarding World. Addressing her comment, Martin made a bold statement,
Gandalf could kick Dumbledore’s a*s.
George R.R. Martin’s remark had long been a considerable topic of discussion among fans of both literary franchises. Considering how Tolkien’s Gandalf and Rowling’s Dumbledore are two of the most iconic wizards in fantasy literature, fans couldn’t conclude who held more power. However, Martin’s bold comments seemingly asserted the dominance of the late author’s works over Rowling’s.
Perhaps, George R.R. Martin is right, considering J.R.R. Tolkien’s creations served as foundational to the genre’s development. Or it could also highlight the American author’s grudge against J.K. Rowling, after she triumphed over Martin’s A Storm of Swords, with her Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, at the 2001 Hugo Awards.
Tolkien is available on Prime Video.
Harry Potter films are available on Max.
Game of Thrones is available on Max
