Amazon’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is set to premiere in 2021, and there has been no shortage of rumors surrounding the production. Recent speculation claims that the series will feature significant nudity and even gratuitous sex scenes. This has made fans question if the show will take a turn away from Tolkien's more conservative-leaning source material and closer toward Game of Thrones racy scenes.
The new series will serve as a prequel to the events of Frodo and the Fellowship, taking place in the "Second Age." Reactions from fans regarding the show have ranged from excitement to wariness. From both ends of the spectrum, there has been a barrage of questions as to how the show will look. If the rumors of sex and nudity are true, it will mean that the series may not closely resemble the general style associated with the franchise's live-action adaptations.
The rumor initially caught fire because an intimacy coordinator was hired for The Lord of the Rings. This, however, does not mean that a sex scene is has been or will be filmed. Intimacy coordinators are often used for kissing scenes as well as organizing partial nudity. They are typically hired to make the actors comfortable. Partial nakedness is also not necessarily indicative of sex or even gratuitous nudity.
The probability of nudity and sex in the new adaptation is incredibly low for other reasons, too. The Tolkien Estate is overseeing the project, and its input will heavily influence The Lord of the Rings' direction. The group famously keeps tight control over the original vision of the books and is committed to defending Tolkien’s legacy, meaning it's unlikely to embrace nudity and sex in a way that's at all at odds with the source material's style.
The Tolkien Estate had many stipulations for Amazon, including that the series must stay entirely faithful to the existing canon. If Amazon were to break this agreement, the company could easily find itself in legal trouble. Still, even attempting to add a gritty sex scene -- which cannot be found in any of the books -- would be effectively impossible under such strict supervisors as the Tolkien Estate. Although the series may end up featuring some level of nudity, it will almost certainly not be on the level of Game of Thrones, like rumors speculate.
The evidence supporting this rumor and the theories springing from it is lacking, so audiences can likely expect the Lord of the Rings series to not go full Game of Thrones and add explicit sex scenes.