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Despite the heavy investment, fan reactions have been overwhelmingly negative. The initial teaser trailer, launched during the Super Bowl over two years ago, was met with considerable disdain, amassing 1.9 million dislikes. This trend continued with the Season 2 trailer, which received over 300,000 dislikes compared to a mere 69,000 likes. These figures reveal the persistent dissatisfaction of a sizable segment of the Tolkien fandom.
The fans' grievances are multifaceted. Many cite insulting changes to the lore, which they feel disrespect the original material authored by Tolkien. There’s also frustration over what is perceived as a lack of authenticity, including characters and plotlines that diverge significantly from established lore.