The Rings of Power Showrunner: Tolkien, Middle-Earth & Consecration in Hollywood - JD Payne | 160

In this episode, I sit down with JD Payne, the co-creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner behind Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Alongside his longtime writing partner Patrick McKay, JD is tasked with one of the largest creative undertakings in television history: translating J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age of Middle-earth into a sprawling multi-season production involving thousands of artists and technicians across every facet of filmmaking.Yet behind the scale of that production is an individual who approaches his work with genuine perspective and quiet intent. Navigating the relentless pressures of the industry, JD views his time and creative output through the principle of consecration—seeking to balance demanding professional responsibilities with family life, active church service, and devoted discipleship as a Latter-day Saint.We discuss the spiritual foundations embedded within Tolkien’s legendarium, the unique power of parables and indirect storytelling, and the creative discipline of focusing on the process while learning to surrender the outcome.Some highlights from this episode include:The Five Ps of Showrunning: JD breaks down the immense, all-encompassing responsibility of helming an epic production through penning, prepping, producing, posting, and publicizing—overseeing the vision from initial script to public release.The "Luke Skywalker" Moment: The high-stakes journey of pitching against dozens of Hollywood’s elite writing teams, followed by the surreal moment on a Los Angeles rooftop after receiving the life-altering call from Amazon.The Consecration of Time: Establishing spiritual non-negotiables—from scripture study and strict Sabbath observance during grueling undergraduate days at Yale, to accepting an early-morning seminary calling in New Zealand right on the eve of filming and the COVID-19 pandemic.Tolkien, Faith, and the Language of Longing: Dissecting Tolkien’s Letter 142 on Middle-earth as a fundamentally religious work, and exploring how themes of the Fall, fading beauty, and immortal longing create a universal spiritual vocabulary.Light Versus Darkness: A behind-the-scenes look at the climax between Celebrimbor and Galadriel in Season 2, highlighting the vital truth that darkness is never conquered by force or muscle, but by light.Process Over Outcome: Contrasting faithful stewardship with the cautionary tale of Laman and Lemuel, JD shares how letting go of rigid expectations allows God to grant far more than we ever could have planned.Books & Works Referenced in This Episode:The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Edited by Humphrey Carpenter & Christopher Tolkien)Letter 142 to Father Robert Murray:https://www.tolkienguide.com/guide/letters/L142The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkienhttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-j-r-r-tolkienThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewishttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-screwtape-letters-c-s-lewisThe Great Divorce by C.S. Lewishttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-great-divorce-c-s-lewisThe Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christhttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofmJD Payne & His Work:Amazon MGM Studios — JD Payne Profile:https://press.amazonmgmstudios.com/us/en/cast/jd-payne/1272The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QH8NMS1Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via [email protected] or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.