Shannara Chronicles cast on Lord of the Rings comparisons at Comic-Con

The cast of The Shannara Chronicles sat down with EW at the Entertainment Weekly Lounge at Comic-Con to talk about their new MTV fantasy series based on Terry Brooks’ books, the first of which hit shelves 38 years ago.

“Basically, it’s set very far in the future,” star John Rhys-Davies, who plays elf king Eventine Elessedil, explains. “The elves have returned, and there are four races on the earth — and maybe little bits of monsters as well.”

“It’s an epic quest of a show that follows us all as we’re trying to save the world,” adds actor Austin Butler, who plays half-human, half-elf Wil Ohmsford. “It takes place hundreds of years in the future, after mankind has sort of destroyed itself.”

Elves, epic quests, and human-hybrids? If you think Shannara sounds a bit like Lord of the Rings, you’re not wrong. In fact, the two projects have an even more concrete element in common. Check out the video to find out, and as a bonus, you can enjoy listening to Rhys-Davies’ regal, booming voice.

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