He also didn't say "and all the characters must be white." C'mon, the hobbits that represent the English are all short with big, hairy feet... Tolkien was not obsessed with technical accuracy. Besides, shouldn't the humans have a diversity of skin colors if they're going to represent the entire species?
I have to admit I'm getting a bit amused at how some here just can't let it go and wait to see how the series turns out, that skin color is more important to them than, y'know, whether or not the storytelling holds up. Like they've inadvertently opened a window into an ugly part of their psyche while pretending there's nothing wrong. "I'm not racist, but I'm neurotically obsessed with ensuring a favorite franchise is whites-only."
Middle Earth was technically racially diverse. Haradrim were dark skinned. If that means middle eastern like in the movies or flat out black, we do not know. Thing is, they live on the other side of Mordor far east so it is not like there is much migration going on, just like there was not much migration from Africa to middle europe IRL. Maybe in bigger trade ports you could occasionally see people of other color, at most. But when it comes to Middle Earth I doubt even that is possible because Haradrim were very much on the side of Sauron and have been so for very long time
I am very anal about accuracy (as much as possible and makes sense when switching story telling mediums) and respect to the source material. If nothing else, just making bloody sense. Like hobbits who live in very small area to the point of risking inbreeding. If there ever was dark minority hobbits their skin color would have been eventually diluted by the bigger majority as they mix up.
When the serie goes diverse for the sake of being diverse when it does not make even sense and being very loud about it, it tells me that being accurate and faithful to the source material is not one of their priorities. That said, maybe they will pull out a rabbit out their hat and succeed in making a great serie but as it is now my expectations are very low.
If you are not into going this deep into the details then that is fine, but I AM A BLOODY NERD DAMN IT!!! I love details and when something sticks out like a sore thumb I get anxious!
*Edit* I messed up. Haradrim is deep south/south east. It is reachable from Gondor. That said, they are still on the side of Sauron.
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