Neil Gaiman mocks Elon Musk for ‘Rings of Power’ criticism

Writer Neil Gaiman mocked tech mogul Elon Musk Tuesday on Twitter for criticizing the new “Lord of the Rings� prequel series “The Rings of Power.�

After Twitter user @Doggie777Moon asked Gaiman for his thoughts on Musk’s critique of the Amazon Prime show, the bestselling “Sandman� author tweeted, “Elon Musk doesn’t come to me for advice on how to fail to buy Twitter, and I don’t go to him for film, TV or literature criticism.�

The “Good Omens� producer later clarified that he was not involved in the making of “The Rings of Power� but “enjoyed� the first two episodes of the spinoff, which premiered Thursday.

His dig at Musk comes about two months after the SpaceX chairman infamously rescinded his $44-billion offer to buy Twitter, which sued him for backing out of the deal.

“Not really sure what to do about all of the Elon Musk people who now think I had something to do with Lord of the Rings,� Gaiman replied to someone who mistakenly assumed he adapted “The Lord of the Rings� mastermind J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings for TV.

“Do I tell them that, no, I was asked for my opinion and answered, or warn them that if they think that’s bad it’s a good thing they haven’t watched Sandman.�

Unlike Gaiman, Musk is not a fan of “The Rings of Power� and made his low opinion of the fantasy series widely known Monday on Twitter.

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Aug. 31, 2022

“Tolkien is turning in his grave,� the Tesla co-founder tweeted, adding that “almost every male character so far is a coward, a jerk or both.�

“Only Galadriel� — a powerful elf played by Morfydd Clark in “The Rings of Power� and Cate Blanchett in the “Lord of the Rings� movies — “is brave, smart and nice,� Musk continued.

It’s worth noting that Musk has long been a critic and rival of fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon, which distributes “The Rings of Power.�

Despite racist outrage over the series’ cast and other grumblings from dissatisfied Tolkienists, “The Rings of Power� drew mostly positive reviews from TV critics and a record 25 million viewers for Amazon upon its Labor Day weekend debut.

The Times has confirmed that “The Rings of Power,� which cost more than $700 million to make over the course of a single season, is the most expensive show ever produced. New episodes of the series premiere Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.