Streaming Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power

[Dixie Flatline]

Amazon announced it has committed to a multi-series adaptation set in the Lord of the Rings universe between the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring).

I love the Lord of the Rings (I just finished the books again for the umpteenth time) and while Jackson took a few liberties with the movie adaptations of the books, I enjoy watching his movies (save for The Hobbit - that was a pure cash-grab, turning a single children's book into three separate movies).

Not sure what I feel about Amazon deciding to make a series out of the gap between the end of The Hobbit and the start of Fellowship of the Ring. Presumably there'll be a fair amount of Tom Bombadil in the series as he was entirely omitted (with good reason) from the movie adaptation. As far as I'm aware, Tolkien never wrote anything to fill in the gap between the end of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings so it really is a blank slate.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/nov/13/lord-of-the-rings-amazon-tv-show-confirmed

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Did that old guy who was blocking certain adaptions die?

 

[Sterge]

Did that old guy who was blocking certain adaptions die?

376 million dollars in license fees tends to change minds

 

[HenrikLundqvist]

Amazon announced it has committed to a multi-series adaptation set in the Lord of the Rings universe between the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring).

I love the Lord of the Rings (I just finished the books again for the umpteenth time) and while Jackson took a few liberties with the movie adaptations of the books, I enjoy watching his movies (save for The Hobbit - that was a pure cash-grab, turning a single children's book into three separate movies).

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/nov/13/lord-of-the-rings-amazon-tv-show-confirmed

I liked them. Sure beat watching 3 shitty comic book movies.

I'm in.

 

[Summer Nights]

I am diamonds right now.

 

[Unique Name]

In like Flynn.

Presumably there'll be a fair amount of Tom Bombadil in the series as he was entirely omitted (with good reason) from the movie adaptation.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Coolangatta]

If they're not gonna do a Shadow of Mordor movie, they should do the TV series on that. I think that was around about the time the Hobbit was set, though, not in between.

 

[Nostradumbass]

I was hoping for some of The Silmarillion. Epic stories are epic. Not happening though.

 

[PhatBoy]

Not sure what to think about this.
The movies are such a part of my movie-watching life, I’m not sure how I’ll feel watching that same universe but without the Jackson influence and the presence of the same actors

 

[Bomberboyokay]

I liked The Hobbit more. It didn't need to take 3 movies but it felt like an adventurous story with an ending you couldn't see a mile off. The Lord of the Rings has always annoyed me a bit. Partly the enormous nerdgasm of 2001-03, partly the world is unconvincing (the bad dudes are just bad dudes, the simple farm people are just simple farm people), partly so much attention is given to Frodo and his hayseed friend at the expense of all the better characters doing more interesting shit, the 'dark lord is destroyed with the ring' is an obvious ending right from the opening minutes of the trilogy.

 

[SM]

I think it'll flop. Will try too hard to be like Game of Thrones or at least leverage of that hype.

 

[RolandF1]

Did that old guy who was blocking certain adaptions die?

No, Christopher Tolkien is still breathing.

I reckon this will be based on the Return of the King appendices, so the adaptors will have to be careful in not referring to Tolkien characters not mentioned in Hobbit/LOTR.

 

[Russian Demon]

A TV series allows them to flesh out characters a lot better, which was one of the original issues with the LOTR trilogy.

The cash grab of The Hobbit was the reverse... they had to invent a bunch or garbage. Jackson didnt come on board until after those decisions were made, as the result was a complete cluster they needed him to rescue.

Has potential if they spend a decent amount of money on script writers and cut down on the CGI.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

https://www.theringer.com/tv/2017/11/14/16648532/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-prequel-ip

 

[Dixie Flatline]

I would hope and expect that at least part of the series focuses on the attack on the Necromancer and Dol Guldur by the White Council. Tolkien referred to it at important points during the Lord of the Rings, but (as far as I'm aware) never wrote anything relating to the attack.

Other important points the series could cover could include:

* Aragorn's pursuit of Gollum after he was released from Mordor;
* Gandalf entering Moria;
* Aragorn in disguise fighting with the Rohirrim and with the Gondorians;

 

[Dixie Flatline]

No, Christopher Tolkien is still breathing.

I reckon this will be based on the Return of the King appendices, so the adaptors will have to be careful in not referring to Tolkien characters not mentioned in Hobbit/LOTR.

He's 92. Quite possibly he's handed over control of the estate to someone else.

There's a good discussion about the licensing on the LOTR Reddit.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

A link to Amazon's press release: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2316587

Indicates that the series will be set in pre-LOTR Middle Earth, but doesn't specifically state that the series is set between the end of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Not sure where I got that impression from yesterday. Potentially we could see some First Age stories adapted into TV (such as stories from The Silmarillion).

 

[Sterge]

one thing you can almost be sure of, they will shoehorn hobbits into it somehow

 

[Count Zero]

LOTR TV series, my interest is definitely piqued. There is scope for a bit of argey-bargey between dwarves and elves. From my point of view the worst thing they could do would be to make it a Bag End soapie.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

They'll bring back Kate from Lost. Because what else is she doing these days.

Orlando Bloom isn't quite on the A-list anymore either.

There's your hooks for people who've seen the movies but never touched the books.

 

[DIG]

LOTR TV series, my interest is definitely piqued. There is scope for a bit of argey-bargey between dwarves and elves. From my point of view the worst thing they could do would be to make it a Bag End soapie.

Or they could start with a cool hardass, gritty dwarves vs elves plot line then slowwwwly turn it into a Bag End Soapie before watchers realise.

They'd just need to hire the Suits writing team.

 

[Brick Loosener]

I was hoping for some of The Silmarillion. Epic stories are epic. Not happening though.

Pretty much.
At least 4 series that would teabag GOT if adapted to TV.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Pity Christopher Lee died. I'd love to have seen a movie about the fall of Saraumon up until the Scouring of the Shire. It will be a few years yet until they can digitally recreate dead actors with any really good accuracy though - Rogue One was an interesting attempt, but still kinda shitty in that regard.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Will be set over 3,000 years before the events of the six movies.

 

[eth-dog]

I want to see what happens in Moria after Balin too over