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TolkienGAF |OT| The World is Ahead
- Thread starter Loxley
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As far as I know they have the right to make up whatever stories they want set in Middle-earth, so long as they're not cribbing from stuff found only in posthumously published works that they don't have the rights to. I can't imagine them doing anything too out there though. The value of the established franchise is familiarity to the audience.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
The Middle-earth film franchise should be laid to rest for good as far as I'm concerned. I'd be content never to see another film adaptation come to fruition.
tryagainlater
Member
I'm certainly not chomping at the bit for more adaptations but if they managed to make a good movie, I'd probably see it.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Considering the money that The Hobbit trilogy has made and will continue to make with the extended edition of The Battle of the Five Armies, I doubt it. If a project is confirmed in the next few decades or so, it'll be a Middle-earth film far removed from Tolkien's writings.
Beren the Empty-Handed
Member
Edmond Dantès;169485398 said:
You're probably right, and it breaks my heart a little. Or maybe more than a little. I'm entrenching myself in denial as long as I can.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
The Silmarillion material at least is secured for a very long time to come, regardless of Christopher Tolkien's death.
TheOneRing.net is reporting that (according to Tolkien Italia) the BOFTA EE will be releasing in the UK on November 16th.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2015/06/22/98426-hobbit-extended-edition-release-date-nov-16-for-uk/
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2015/06/22/98426-hobbit-extended-edition-release-date-nov-16-for-uk/
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Looking forward to the seeing what they've added. There is obvious room for improvement, certainly in comparison to the previous films.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Spot the Tolkien link:
This will be fun.
This will be fun.
Edmond Dantès;169934738 said:
The going rumor is that there's around 30 minutes of added footage, which is a fairly substantial amount. Hopefully it becomes a more well-rounded film as a result.
Jackson has been surprisingly quiet about the EE so far, usually by this point we know a lot more about it. I know he said in an interview a couple months back that Weta Digital were working on VFX for the EE scenes. That said, he's undoubtedly taking things easy after this six-year undertaking with this trilogy. Talk about exhausting.
Edmond Dantès;169948892 said:Spot the Tolkien link:
This will be fun.
Oh man, so jealous.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
That's interesting. I think we can deduce that the chariot scene from the trailers will be included and the funeral scene and possibly something relating to Beorn who was shortchanged in the film.
The concert is a little treat after a period of hard work. The Royal Albert Hall is starting to fill up now.
Loxley my friend, when (and I have no doubt that you will eventually) you visit the UK, you should certainly include a trip to the Royal Albert Hall in your itinerary.
Peter's time with Middle-earth is at an end. I'd like to see Peter Weir take on the task, but it's very doubtful that it'll ever happen.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
If I had made the Hobbit films, I'd be scared of showing them to the creator of the source works too.
Well specially knowing Tolkien's living heirs loath his work, I can understand where Jackson is coming from.
Jackson should be fearless and confident though. Its his adaptation of the franchise, and its brilliant and amazing to millions even if it doesn't portray the Middle-Earth, its people and events in the same light than the creators envisioned.
Jackson should be fearless and confident though. Its his adaptation of the franchise, and its brilliant and amazing to millions even if it doesn't portray the Middle-Earth, its people and events in the same light than the creators envisioned.
Really interesting article. I knew some of that but have long since lost any sources other than Wikipedia, so it's nice seeing it in more official form. Jackson's apparent self-criticism of King King jumped out because of the recent GAF thread about that film. 
Thanks for posting that, Dantes!
:lol Seriously though, even with LOTR, I've never been able to wrap my head around why people think Tolkien would have liked it. None of his recorded opinions about pop culture or adaptations suggest that he would have. And I say this as someone who loves the LOTR films while recognizing their significant divergences from the book.
Thanks for posting that, Dantes!:lol Seriously though, even with LOTR, I've never been able to wrap my head around why people think Tolkien would have liked it. None of his recorded opinions about pop culture or adaptations suggest that he would have. And I say this as someone who loves the LOTR films while recognizing their significant divergences from the book.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
It's interesting that Peter openly admits his lack of knowledge regarding Tolkien's works, but then he has always relied on Philippa and Fran for that.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Tolkien wasn't wholly ignorant of films, especially considering his mauling of the Zimmerman script. From that we can deduce his potential opinions on the films; the depiction of the Nazgul and the Balrog in particular may have irked him. It should also be noted that he was alive at a time when the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur et al. were at the height of their popularity.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
We should be hearing more about the extended edition of The Battle of the Five Armies at the Comic-Con event. Nothing else should be expected, certainly not an announcement about future Middle-earth films. Although, you never know.
tryagainlater
Member
I would like to see the big 6 movie extended edition boxset but I guess they would like to promote Battle of the Five Armies alone before showing that.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Yes, the six film edition is something to expect in 2016, rather than 2015. The extended edition of BOFTA will most likely be released in November.
tattooed_dwarf
Member
They might release teaser trailer for EE, I think DoS EE got trailer around sdcc last year.Edmond Dantès;171371156 said:
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
Regarding future films, how would we all feel if a new film set in Middle-earth was announced? Ambivalence? Annoyance? Apprehension? Apathy even? Or a more positive outlook?
tattooed_dwarf
Member
I wouldn't mind IF they somehow could get at least one writer who could make script worthy of universe Tolkien created. It would be huge task to make story fitting the lore. I don't want just some fantasy movie with names and places from Middle earth, I want it to feel like LotR movies made me feel. (I know many have problems with those too)Edmond Dantès;171417217 said:
Ixion
Member
It depends on the story and the staff. If it's a Shadow of Mordor adaptation from Roland Emmerich, that would suck. Since Warner Bros only has rights to LOTR and The Hobbit, the best situation I can think of would be a bridge film centering on Aragorn that's directed/written by....someone good and knowledgable on the universe. PJ delivered with LOTR, but he's not the right man for the job anymore.
A CGI animated Hobbit film could be cool, but I don't see them doing that so soon.
A CGI animated Hobbit film could be cool, but I don't see them doing that so soon.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
A script written by someone other than the trio we know would be very interesting. We have only known the work of Peter, Fran and Philippa in the past 15 years or so and they have, of course, had the benefit of adapting existing fully realised material.
Quite a challenge in store for whoever (if it does ever happen) takes on the task.
Quite a challenge in store for whoever (if it does ever happen) takes on the task.
tryagainlater
Member
I vote for Dantes to do it.
Any spin-off movies would really be fanfiction than adaptation so it'd be a different process no matter who was writing it. I'm not confident that a spin-off would be able to live up to the LOTR films at all, mainly out of a general skepticism of this emergent trend of cash-in spin-offs (maybe we could call it MCU envy?). If I'm pleasantly surprised by Fantastic Beasts or the Star Wars Anthology films my opinion about more Middle-earth movies might change, but I think The Hobbit films have proven that just going back to the same setting is not enough to make a good movie if the story itself is not as interesting as the original. And most of the bits of backstory that get discussed as potential future movies are just that: backstory that probably wouldn't be improved by being depicted in detail and real time.
Ixion
Member
Yeah, don't get me wrong. While a bridge film is probably the best case scenario, even that I wouldn't be too excited about. If Warner Bros had the rights to all of Tolkien's works, then I'd think a Children of Hurin adaptation would get me the most excited. It's a great story that's more fleshed out than Beren & Luthien and more easily adaptable than the War of Wrath.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
I would likely watch it. It's not as if we have an abundance of fantasy movies to get excited about anyway.
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
No news regarding future films is a positive thing and long may it continue.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Children of Hurin is a super dark movie with a really depressing ending. No way they ever put that movie out without major changes. It would be hard to sell lunchboxes and Lego Children of Hurin games to kids.
Ixion
Member
Fuck the kids
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
The Children of Hurin wouldn't really fit in the established tone of Middle-earth thus far. It would be a difficult sell to audiences. Plus, people will invariably ask, where are the hobbits?
The same was asked when The Silmarillion was released in 1977.
The same was asked when The Silmarillion was released in 1977.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
You gotta worry about the kids if you're going to make a $150-200 mil movie, which Hurin would certainly be
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
A director like Peter Weir could certainly do something quite excellent with a good script.
That would indeed be the best option. A six episode mini-series with backstory told via a prologue or orally throughout the narrative. It would be interesting to see the likes of Melkor and Sauron depicted in their primes and the degradation of Melkor's power until he was merely Morgoth the Dark Lord. Even then, the most powerful being in Middle-earth.
Middle-earth too would have to feel different; younger, greater and a sense of hope permeating the land.
The casting of Turin would also be key. But this speculation is of course all rather futile. The rights are secured, and will not be available for many, many decades.
The closest we'll get to a Turin film is the basis of Tolkien's story, his direct inspiration, and some scholars would say; a tale he stole directly from, even more shamelessly than his borrowing from the Völuspá (Dvergatal). That is Kullervo of Finnish myth.
Ixion
Member
I don't think Children of Hurin needs to be a TV mini-series. There have been a bunch of great movies that follow a character over a long period of time, such as Forest Gump or a number of biopics. Yes, you won't be able to include everything from the book, but I think Turin's story can be told in a long feature film.
As for adapting the entire Silmarillion, I think it would be tricky any way you cut it. The Silmarillion's format is more conducive to TV, it's contents are ridiculously epic and require a feature film budget, and either way you're dealing with a story that's more of a history rather than a focused narrative.
It seems the general idea around here is to attempt a TV series far into the future (whenever the rights are available I suppose). Although by that time, I'm sure television, movies, and entertainment in general will be far, far different....full immersion VR Silmarillion anyone?
As for adapting the entire Silmarillion, I think it would be tricky any way you cut it. The Silmarillion's format is more conducive to TV, it's contents are ridiculously epic and require a feature film budget, and either way you're dealing with a story that's more of a history rather than a focused narrative.
It seems the general idea around here is to attempt a TV series far into the future (whenever the rights are available I suppose). Although by that time, I'm sure television, movies, and entertainment in general will be far, far different....full immersion VR Silmarillion anyone?
Edmond Dantès
Dantès the White
There is a rather interesting essay posted on TORn; the Silmarillion as a film trilogy.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2015/07/11/98552-an-essay-the-silmarillion-as-a-trilogy/
Some interesting points, but without a primary protagonist from the outset, not really viable. And again, people will ask, but where are the Hobbits? Why should I care about mystical elves and unapproachable humans?
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2015/07/11/98552-an-essay-the-silmarillion-as-a-trilogy/
Some interesting points, but without a primary protagonist from the outset, not really viable. And again, people will ask, but where are the Hobbits? Why should I care about mystical elves and unapproachable humans?
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Based on what I've seen from GOT I don't think HBO has the budget to do a 200 foot long talking dragon
NASA are such an awesome bunch of nerds.
One does not simply walk into mordor.
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