Christopher Lee was a legendary actor who starred in some of the greatest films of all time. Among other things, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. It was very clear to him which franchise of the two was better.
Christopher Lee played many iconic roles in his life. Be it Dracula, Saruman or Count Dooku. The latter are villains from Lord of the Rings and Star Wars and have burned themselves into the minds of audiences primarily because of Lee’s portrayal.
There are often discussions as to which of the two film series is better. The fan bases of both universes are large and opinionated – even if it is of course questionable whether Star Wars and Lord of the Rings can even be compared with each other. Christopher Lee did it and provided an answer to the question.
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One aspect distinguishes the two universes
What did Christopher Lee say? In an interview with TFN, the actor talked about his work and compared Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.
The crucial difference is that George Luca’s star saga is not based on a template and is fictitious, while Peter Jackson’s films are the adaptation of a novel.
Lee emphasized how impressed he was by George Lucas’s genius. He created a franchise from nothing that is now known worldwide and is constantly growing. That was a huge task that Lucas mastered well. Even if the filmmaker initially assumed it would be a flop.
In contrast, Lord of the Rings pales in comparison, as there was little room for experimentation due to the original. Otherwise the fans of the book would have been upset. There are still some differences in the films.
Christopher Lee therefore thought more of Star Wars than of the Middle-earth saga. And that despite the fact that he actually met the author of Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien, personally in the 1950s (via independent.co). No other actor in the films can say that.
Even when it came to his characters, Count Dooku had the edge here.
Why is Count Dooku more interesting? Lee called the role a dream for any actor. It was very appealing to embody Dooku because the character is mysterious and his motivation is still obscure when he first appears. Working on the character was a pleasure.
Of course, it cannot be conclusively decided which franchise is better, but is primarily a matter of taste. That’s why we’re interested in your opinion. Are you more at home in Middle-earth or in the galaxy far, far away? Feel free to write it to us in the comments. By the way, did you know: One of the most unpleasant moments in Star Wars came about because George Lucas had a big problem