The Lord of the Rings on Amazon Prime

[mae]

Not sure if we had a thread on this (I checked and I couldn't find anything). Felt like it was about time.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7tshJbHV7A

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pa7yz7/tolkiens-estate-has-brutally-strict-rules-about-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-series

Jeff Bezos has been gunning for a massive, Game of Thrones-style tentpole for Amazon's streaming service since 2017, but so far, all it's cranked out are weird, baffling, and periodically brilliant shows that barely even try to garner Thrones-level mainstream success. But that's all about to change. Amazon has poured millions into a Lord of the Rings TV series, reportedly spending $200 million on the rights alone.

But it turns out that the massive buyout still comes with some strings attached—because the J.R.R. Tolkien estate has some very specific rules about what can and cannot happen in the show, Slashfilm reports.

Tom Shippey, a Tolkien scholar who has been working with Amazon to develop the series, sat down for an interview with a German fansite called Deutsche Tolkien recently and spelled out all the estate's stipulations for the upcoming series—namely, that it better stay canon, or else.

The Tolkien Estate will insist that the main shape of the Second Age is not altered. Sauron invades Eriador, is forced back by a Númenorean expedition, is returns to Númenor. There he corrupts the Númenoreans and seduces them to break the ban of the Valar. All this, the course of history, must remain the same. But you can add new characters and ask a lot of questions, like: What has Sauron done in the meantime? Where was he after Morgoth was defeated? Theoretically, Amazon can answer these questions by inventing the answers, since Tolkien did not describe it. But it must not contradict anything which Tolkien did say. That’s what Amazon has to watch out for. It must be canonical, it is impossible to change the boundaries which Tolkien has created, it is necessary to remain “tolkienian.”

Apparently, the estate has pretty firm guidelines about when the show can take place, too:

The First and Third Ages are ‘off-limits’, you can’t have the First Age. Events could be mentioned at the most if they explain the events of the Second Age. But if it is not described or mentioned in the Lord of the Rings or in the appendices, they probably cannot use it. So the question is to what extent they may hint at events that took place, for example, in the First Age, but still continue to affect the Second Age. There are several maps authorized by Tolkien, not just the ones we are familiar with, and some of those maps have places on them which are not in the other maps. But if Tolkien authorized them then that’s okay. So it’s a bit of a minefield. You have to tread very carefully but at the same time there is quite a lot of scope for interpretation and free invention.

Basically, that meant that if you've been waiting for a Tom Bombadil spinoff, uh, you're going to have to keep waiting.

Along with these narrative details, the guy also shared some information about the show itself. According to Shippey, the first season of Lord of the Rings will be a whopping 20 episodes long—quite a few given the amount of money Amazon is throwing into this thing. The show is still in development, but it's supposed to go into production in 2020 and presumably hit Amazon at some point during the next couple years. At least it'll be here sooner than the third season of Fleabag.

[fernandito]

My body is ready.

[Still Servant]

I think this is going to be a trainwreck.

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

What has captived the world for decades about the Lord of the Rings is the fairly straightforward story. Good versus evil. Take ring, destroy. Obviously, the theme of the seemingly weak and insignificant accomplishing something extraordinary is significant. Frodo and his Hobbit friends were easy to root for.

It's still early, but unless the new show has a tight story, I don't see it resonating with mainstream TV fans, which is what made the films popular to begin with. Many people who adored the films hadn't even heard of the books when Fellowship was released in theaters.

[Hunchback Jack]

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

I'm not even sure if they have rights to any part of The Silmarillion.

There are three main sources of Second Age material that they might be able to draw from - the Akallabêth chapter from The Silmarillion, the Second Age material from The Lord of the Rings Appendices, and the Second Age material from Unfinished Tales. I suppose they could also draw from The History of Middle Earth, but I think that's unlikely. The only source I've seen mentioned that they can draw from is the Appendices - but information has been scarce and vague.

This could get very, very dicey indeed. The temptation for Amazon to plunder the First Age tales in order to "explain" the Second Age tales that they legally have the rights to will be irresistible. The First Age tales have a gravitas and pathos that the Second Age tales lack.

HBJ

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoQh_XFcY_M

[Merlin1958]

I think this is going to be a trainwreck.

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

What has captived the world for decades about the Lord of the Rings is the fairly straightforward story. Good versus evil. Take ring, destroy. Obviously, the theme of the seemingly weak and insignificant accomplishing something extraordinary is significant. Frodo and his Hobbit friends were easy to root for.

It's still early, but unless the new show has a tight story, I don't see it resonating with mainstream TV fans, which is what made the films popular to begin with. Many people who adored the films hadn't even heard of the books when Fellowship was released in theaters.

I gotta agree with you here. Good assessment

[mae]

https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/1422255647106617359

On September 2, 2022, a new journey begins.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E7zdJNXVkAIPchb?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

[Merlin1958]

All due respect but, that's it? lol

[fernandito]

Can't wait! :excited:

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT_rJJUWtwA

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhqGCPMfkNM

[fernandito]

I think this is going to be a trainwreck.

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

What has captived the world for decades about the Lord of the Rings is the fairly straightforward story. Good versus evil. Take ring, destroy. Obviously, the theme of the seemingly weak and insignificant accomplishing something extraordinary is significant. Frodo and his Hobbit friends were easy to root for.

It's still early, but unless the new show has a tight story, I don't see it resonating with mainstream TV fans, which is what made the films popular to begin with. Many people who adored the films hadn't even heard of the books when Fellowship was released in theaters.

Almost 3 years since you made this post, gotta ask - still feel the same way?

[Hunchback Jack]

I've little doubt it will look magnificent. The key will be in the writing. There's not a great deal of source material to draw from - particularly not much dialogue - so the writers will need to extrapolate a great deal. A lot depends on them.

I'm sure it will a An Event, with a lot of hype beforehand and a lot of online fervor during broadcast. Whether we will still be talking about it in five years - or in twenty, as with the movies - is another matter.

HBJ

[Still Servant]

I think this is going to be a trainwreck.

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

What has captived the world for decades about the Lord of the Rings is the fairly straightforward story. Good versus evil. Take ring, destroy. Obviously, the theme of the seemingly weak and insignificant accomplishing something extraordinary is significant. Frodo and his Hobbit friends were easy to root for.

It's still early, but unless the new show has a tight story, I don't see it resonating with mainstream TV fans, which is what made the films popular to begin with. Many people who adored the films hadn't even heard of the books when Fellowship was released in theaters.

Almost 3 years since you made this post, gotta ask - still feel the same way?

I'm so glad you asked me that. I actually came here to kind of update my opinion on things.

In short, yes and no. No, I don't believe it will be a trainwreck, but yes I still have huge reservations. I don't think it's going to Game of Thrones and I don't think it's going to be a phenomenon like the films, but I also don't think it will be as bad as Wheel of Time. Now, I haven't seen that show, but it looks like something you would find on the Sci-fi channel.

[Merlin1958]

I think this is going to be a trainwreck.

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

What has captived the world for decades about the Lord of the Rings is the fairly straightforward story. Good versus evil. Take ring, destroy. Obviously, the theme of the seemingly weak and insignificant accomplishing something extraordinary is significant. Frodo and his Hobbit friends were easy to root for.

It's still early, but unless the new show has a tight story, I don't see it resonating with mainstream TV fans, which is what made the films popular to begin with. Many people who adored the films hadn't even heard of the books when Fellowship was released in theaters.

Almost 3 years since you made this post, gotta ask - still feel the same way?

I'm so glad you asked me that. I actually came here to kind of update my opinion on things.

In short, yes and no. No, I don't believe it will be a trainwreck, but yes I still have huge reservations. I don't think it's going to Game of Thrones and I don't think it's going to be a phenomenon like the films, but I also don't think it will be as bad as Wheel of Time. Now, I haven't seen that show, but it looks like something you would find on the Sci-fi channel.

It is. Is there a release date?

[mae]

September 2.

[mae]

Some stunning photos here: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/amazon-the-rings-of-power-series-first-look

https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/62019b3741f168f94e9f9d88/master/w_2000,c_limit/lord-of-the-rings-002.jpg

[St. Troy]

I own a shitload of Tolkien that I have yet to read (I've only read The Hobbit and LOTR); I have like 18 months of reading to do to prep for this series.

[Still Servant]

Not gonna lie, those production stills are stunning.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7v1hIkYH24

[Merlin1958]

Looks amazing but, what are they doing for story? The Silmariliion?

[St. Troy]

...what are they doing for story? The Silmariliion?

From what I've heard, at the very least they've cobbled together bits from The Silmarillion and may have added further authentic JRRT background material (Middle-earth history as described in The Hobbit and LOTR and material from later releases The History of Middle-earth, Unfinished Tales, Great Tales set, etc.). I don't know if they've padded it out with their own additions (which would be terrible, but which I expect).

[Merlin1958]

...what are they doing for story? The Silmariliion?

From what I've heard, at the very least they've cobbled together bits from The Silmarillion and may have added further authentic JRRT background material (Middle-earth history as described in The Hobbit and LOTR and material from later releases The History of Middle-earth, Unfinished Tales, Great Tales set, etc.). I don't know if they've padded it out with their own additions (which would be terrible, but which I expect).

I thought there were rights issues with anything but, LOTR and The Hobbit. Maybe they finally ponyed up to the family (Christopher, I believe). While the trailer was amazing the story seemed somewhat outside Canon (?). IDK, I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to portraying books in film. Looks very good though I have to say and I'm looking forward to it as much as I did the "Foundation" series on Apple.

They really fucked with the source material on that one but, it still was alright story wise I suppose. Visually, production values etc, it was stunning. Just like how the ROP looked in the trailer.

[Bev Vincent]

"While The Rings of Power isn’t based on any book per se, per Vanity Fair, it will take its inspiration from the vast backstory that J.R.R. Tolkien laid out in the appendices to the LOTR trilogy."

[Merlin1958]

"While The Rings of Power isn’t based on any book per se, per Vanity Fair, it will take its inspiration from the vast backstory that J.R.R. Tolkien laid out in the appendices to the LOTR trilogy."

Thanks, Bev. Pretty much what I figured. They won't be tied to any actual book. Very much like what was done with, "Foundation". That isn't necessarily a knock on the series. Those trailers look fucking awesome regardless. And it will be visually stunning I'm sure. Looks like they will be using the, Tolkien literature as an inspiration for the show.

I still can't wait for this to premiere!!!!! September feels like a really long time away!! lol

[Merlin1958]

I think this is going to be a trainwreck.

First, it's not Lord of the Rings, it's The Silmarillion.

What has captived the world for decades about the Lord of the Rings is the fairly straightforward story. Good versus evil. Take ring, destroy. Obviously, the theme of the seemingly weak and insignificant accomplishing something extraordinary is significant. Frodo and his Hobbit friends were easy to root for.

It's still early, but unless the new show has a tight story, I don't see it resonating with mainstream TV fans, which is what made the films popular to begin with. Many people who adored the films hadn't even heard of the books when Fellowship was released in theaters.

I gotta agree with you here. Good assessment

I think I've revised my thoughts on this series. As you say it will depend on the story. The back story on the rings and the "Big Baddie" is not bad and will be interesting to viewers who haven't read the material even though it was heavily inspired by, Miltions' "paradise Lost". There's a great story just in how, Isildur cuts the ring off, Sauron and the events that lead up to the battle. And of course the story behind, Sauron and, Melkor.

In my opinion the series will depend on how much they honor the original, Tolkien history/story. Can't wait to see what they have done with it. I'm cautiously optimistic about this series. That trailer backs me up so far, IMHO.

"Foundation" was also visually stunning and well acted but they certainly played loose and fancy free with the original material. Some was good and some of it drove you a little nuts if you have read the original books. For instance, it took them the entire 8 episodes to get to the first "Seldon Crisis". The trailer for "Ring of Power" is very much like the one for, "Foundation" . Don't get me wrong, I went into the series knowing they would have to spice up the source material which reads a little dry for a TV series.

We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, give the "Foundation" a shot. The books were, and still are (along with "Dune", a classic staple for virtually all Science fiction and a wealth of material that has inspired so much Sci-Fi that followed. Most notably "Star Wars" which has bits of "Foundation" and "Dune" scattered through out the "Star Wars" universe.

[mae]

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-release-date-1235181646/

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” — the original anime feature from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation — is set for release on April 12, 2024 from Warner Bros. Pictures, Variety can report exclusively.

Set roughly two centuries before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” “The War of the Rohirrim” will explore the exploits of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and the creation of Helm’s Deep, the stronghold featured in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

Kenji Kamiyama (the TV series “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”) is directing with “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” producer Joseph Chou through his anime studio Sola Entertainment, which has been working on the film since it was announced in June 2021.

As can be seen in this exclusive first look at conceptual art from the film, “The War of the Rohirrim” is also drawing much of its creative DNA from Jackson’s six features set in Middle-earth. Philippa Boyens, who was part of the Oscar-winning screenwriting team for “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, is executive producing the film. Phoebe Gittins, Boyens’ daughter, and writing partner Arty Papageorgiou are penning the screenplay based on a script from Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. And the creative team includes Richard Taylor (who won Oscars for makeup and visual effects for “The Lord of the Rings”), Alan Lee (who won an Oscar for art direction for “LOTR”), and Tolkien illustrator John Howe.

Voice cast announcements are expected soon.

“I’m in awe of the creative talent who have come together to bring this epic, heart-pounding story to life, from the mastery of Kenji Kamiyama to a truly stellar cast,” Boyens says.

“The ‘Lord of the Rings’ films took Tolkien’s masterwork to new cinematic heights and inspired a generation,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich. “It’s a gift to be able to revisit Middle-earth with many of the same creative visionaries and the talented Kenji Kamiyama at the helm. This will be an epic portrayal unlike anything audiences have ever seen.”

Warner Bros.’ movement on the anime “Lord of the Rings” film comes at a time when the studio is in a dispute with the Saul Zaentz Co., the longtime owner of “LOTR” film and TV rights, over whether Warner Bros. has done enough development on the franchise to maintain its hold on live-action and animated film rights. Variety reported last week that Zaentz Co. is putting its Tolkien holdings on the block, which spurred questions about “LOTR” activity within Warner Bros.

The last live-action Tolkien film, 2014’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” grossed $940 million worldwide; all six films have earned over $5.8 billion. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won 11 Oscars, including best picture, tying the record for a single movie.

“The War of the Rohirrim” is also totally separate from Amazon Prime Video’s Middle-earth series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which is set millennia before the events of Jackson’s movies.

[St. Troy]

Definitely a lot of potential in such an adaptation.

[Still Servant]

Honestly, after that trailer, I'm fucking hyped.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcd0fsYahrA

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwjoV_2JcZ0

[Merlin1958]

Another one scheduled for the 15th!!!

[webstar1000]

Hopefully will see the panel at Comic Con for this!

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewgCqJDI_Nk

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYnQDsaxHZU

[fernandito]

That new trailer is spicy. I dig it.

Is that supposed to be Morgoth? (never read Silmarillion)

[Merlin1958]

That new trailer is spicy. I dig it.

Is that supposed to be Morgoth? (never read Silmarillion)

It's been a minute since I read the Silmarillion, so don't shoot me if my memory is off. At first glance you'd think, Morgoth since he was Saurons' master (like Darth Vader to the Emperor, hmmm. lol) but if they're picking it up where I think they are it's more likely to be, Sauron (The shot of the hand clicked for me with the, Jackson version of him when he is fighting, Isildur. As I recall, Morgoth actually was a kinda in the shadows guy and had recently lost his bid to rule the world.

That's when, Sauron got busy crafting the One Ring and putting the bulk of his power into it as well. Obviously, Amazon has massaged the source material to make it cool with movie goers in 2022 but, the plot of the, Silmarillion really follows the the canon of, Paradise Lost with a dash of, Dante's Inferno. It looks very well produced. Let's just hope they took a cue from. Jackson and stayed true to the source material and appendices. I know I'm looking forward to it.

[Still Servant]

Is anyone concerned about the fact that this series will air at the same time as House of the Dragon? I feel like it might be fantasy overload. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a glorious few weeks for TV fans.

Do we know if the Lord of the Rings series will release all at once?

[webstar1000]

Is anyone concerned about the fact that this series will air at the same time as House of the Dragon? I feel like it might be fantasy overload. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a glorious few weeks for TV fans.

Do we know if the Lord of the Rings series will release all at once?

They said at COmic Con.. weekly

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaSZNPscvFU

[fernandito]

less than a month away! :cool:

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8UAUAuKNcU

[Merlin1958]

Man, I sure hope they didn't make this one of Hollywoods' new "Woke" renditions like so many of the new works. Talk about a "fantasy" film, IMHO that would ruin the source materialfor me anyway. Still, I'm looking forward to this the trailers look amazing!!

[fernandito]

Man, I sure hope they didn't make this one of Hollywoods' new "Woke" renditions like so many of the new works. Talk about a "fantasy" film, IMHO that would ruin the source material for me anyway. Still, I'm looking forward to this the trailers look amazing!!

In a series with orcs, elves, wizards, ogres, trolls, warlocks, spirits etc., - having human actors with slightly more skin pigmentation appear is going to break your immersion?

Seriously?

[Merlin1958]

Man, I sure hope they didn't make this one of Hollywoods' new "Woke" renditions like so many of the new works. Talk about a "fantasy" film, IMHO that would ruin the source material for me anyway. Still, I'm looking forward to this the trailers look amazing!!

In a series with orcs, elves, wizards, ogres, trolls, warlocks, spirits etc., - having human actors with slightly more skin pigmentation appear is going to break your immersion?

Seriously?

Look. I do not have any issue with, race, sexual identity or, sexual orientation. You do what you do best to make you happy. Hollywood on the other hand has (IMHO) been shoving that agenda down our throats lately. They need to lighten up a bit and try to be more natural about it. The LOTR series is loosely based on the British Isle (his frame of reference for Middle Earth) in the time of, King Arthur. That setting is not conducive to today's standards. Sure adding some folks of color works somewhat but, I doubt that was the authors vision when he wrote it and I prefer films to remain as faithful as possible to the source material. That's just my opinion.

As far has skin pigmentation and sexual orientation goes I don't really care. It's all good in my opinion. I prefer to categorize folks as good people, folks on the internet and Assholes. That's what really matters, no? lol


Oh, I forgot a category, Major Flaming Assholes!!! I've run into my share of those over the years!! lol lol

[Still Servant]

The term woke is so overplayed by now. It's lost all meaning.

[fernandito]

Take this with a Mordor-sized dose of salt but...

The first Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reactions are in – and it’s a "cinematic masterpiece" (https://www.gamesradar.com/the-lord-of-the-ring-of-power-premiere-reactions/)

[Joe315]

The term woke is so overplayed by now. It's lost all meaning.

That sounds like something a woke person would say. /s

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpo01KAs_i8

[Still Servant]

I feel like my initial theory might be somewhat valid. Rings of Power airing at the same time as House of the Dragon might not be a great thing. I've heard a ton of buzz about HoD, but I've barely heard anyone talk about Rings of Power.

Personally, I was disappointed with the first episode. The second was more enjoyable and that might be because there's less Galadriel in it. I think the actress playing her is dreadful. She's so blah and expressionless.

[Merlin1958]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpo01KAs_i8

The production values and cinematography is stunning so far!! As for the story, as I recall from the Silmarillon the story is way off and its hard at this point to see where they are headed with the exception that at some point the rings should be forged.

[mae]

They don’t have the rights to The Silmarilion so they can’t reference anything that happens in that book specifically.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVxMjL0MC2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8d5VWH2oGc

[Merlin1958]

They don’t have the rights to The Silmarilion so they can’t reference anything that happens in that book specifically.

Ahhh, well that is a shitload of, Tolkien lore right out the window. So this is gonna be a sorta "Fan Fiction" series then. Cause they already skipped a truck load of stuff. lol

Let's see how good they are at story telling then shall we? lol

[Mattrick]

So how much does in the inclusion of black people ruin Middle Earth? Apparently it's caused quite the consternation or something so I'm curious if it bothers normal people at all.

[mcbanick]

They don’t have the rights to The Silmarilion so they can’t reference anything that happens in that book specifically.

Ahhh, well that is a shitload of, Tolkien lore right out the window. So this is gonna be a sorta "Fan Fiction" series then. Cause they already skipped a truck load of stuff. lol

Let's see how good they are at story telling then shall we? lol

It’s been about 20 years since I read The Silmarillion, but so far it felt to me like they hit the broad strokes pretty well. Where did they go off story?

[Merlin1958]

They don’t have the rights to The Silmarilion so they can’t reference anything that happens in that book specifically.

Ahhh, well that is a shitload of, Tolkien lore right out the window. So this is gonna be a sorta "Fan Fiction" series then. Cause they already skipped a truck load of stuff. lol

Let's see how good they are at story telling then shall we? lol

It’s been about 20 years since I read The Silmarillion, but so far it felt to me like they hit the broad strokes pretty well. Where did they go off story?

Quite a few things. They almost eliminated the Silmarils and all that went with it. Glossed over the 1st age. The, Galadriel story is skewed. Quite a few things, but maybe it will work in the end. We'll see.

[mae]

The Silmarils were mentioned briefly but they can't get into that, because of rights. They only have the rights to LOTR and The Hobbit books, so this series is based mainly on what's in the appendices.

[Still Servant]

So how much does in the inclusion of black people ruin Middle Earth? Apparently it's caused quite the consternation or something so I'm curious if it bothers normal people at all.

I haven't even thought about it until you mentioned it. I am offended by the portrayal of the Orcs though. I've met a few and they are pretty nice folks.

[Mattrick]

So how much does in the inclusion of black people ruin Middle Earth? Apparently it's caused quite the consternation or something so I'm curious if it bothers normal people at all.

I haven't even thought about it until you mentioned it. I am offended by the portrayal of the Orcs though. I've met a few and they are pretty nice folks.


Orcs always get a bad rap.

[mcbanick]

I think the way they framed the second age with the brief prologue has a nice synergy with Jackson’s opening to LOTR. Sure, it’d be cool if they went deeper into the 1st Age lore, but I don’t think the story being told is lacking at all because of the dearth of Silmaril/Morgoth material. Best case scenario - Rings of Power does very well and Amazon pays for the IP to follow it up with a prequel series focusing on the first age content

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm9yOvNAmRk

[Merlin1958]

I think the way they framed the second age with the brief prologue has a nice synergy with Jackson’s opening to LOTR. Sure, it’d be cool if they went deeper into the 1st Age lore, but I don’t think the story being told is lacking at all because of the dearth of Silmaril/Morgoth material. Best case scenario - Rings of Power does very well and Amazon pays for the IP to follow it up with a prequel series focusing on the first age content

Working strictly from the appendices leaves quite a bit open for interpetation. Which is not necessarily a bad thing though the fact checking back to the Silmarillion must be a bitch!

So far, generally speaking, I'm enjoying it. Visually it's incredible and its really cool getting to see cities and places we never have before. Not to mention some of the characters like, Elendil, Isildur, Durin and so on. I'm finding it a challenge to translate the geography a bit but, even that is enjoyable. The only thing I have an issue with is the, Hobbits. First off, and I may be wrong its been a minute since my last reading, there wasn't nearly this much Hobbit story to be told in the 2nd age. Even more so though is the lack of respect for the scale of the different races. Jackson, went to great lengths to maintain the relative stature of each of the races and they don't seem to give a damn in this production which is somewhat disconcerting.

Otherwise, the actors seem very capable, the production levels are movie quality and the sets and visuals truly remarkable. Story remains to be seen nut its been a fairly good start. IMHO

[fernandito]

Idk if I'm liking the actress playing Galadriel. Granted my knowledge of Second Age LOTR is limited, and I've never read the Silmarillion, but was Galadriel always this... devoid of emotion? (to put it nicely)

[mae]

Idk if I'm liking the actress playing Galadriel. Granted my knowledge of Second Age LOTR is limited, and I've never read the Silmarillion, but was Galadriel always this... devoid of emotion? (to put it nicely)

I think it's on purpose. She's been traumatized by death, a concept elves didn't know or have. She's single-minded with revenge. The character arc will be going from this low point to the Galadriel we see later in LOTR.

[Merlin1958]

Idk if I'm liking the actress playing Galadriel. Granted my knowledge of Second Age LOTR is limited, and I've never read the Silmarillion, but was Galadriel always this... devoid of emotion? (to put it nicely)

I think it's on purpose. She's been traumatized by death, a concept elves didn't know or have. She's single-minded with revenge. The character arc will be going from this low point to the Galadriel we see later in LOTR.

Yeah, that's a pretty good assessment. If you recall, she wasn't exactly a benevolent sole in LOTR either despite having softened a bit from the person being portrayed at this time in her life. I'm curious to see how much we get into, Celeborn the original holder of the third ring if I recall. He was a bit of a hard case.

I'm still wondering about the "Person of color" elf. i think it would work wonderfully if he was a woodland elf and all his peers were person's of color. It fits. But having him be the sole one is a little off IMHO. Also, hobbits. Now they.re Irish? and black? As I have said before I'm all for diversity but, not at the sake of the source material. To me that is just wrong. And, kinda lazy writing. IMHO

[Br!an]

Now they.re Irish? and black?

:wtf: Black Irish?

Bill, woke is a joke... without a punchline. (So, I provided one.)

*

That said, according to Tolkien, "The Harfoots were browner of skin, smaller and shorter, and they were all beardless and bootless," he wrote, "their hands and feet were neat and nimble; and they preferred highlands and hillsides."

The question remains why they are not all "browner of skin" in the show. :orely:

*

This is the first time I've ever used the word woke in any form of conversation. Hopefully it's the last.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK8Mj4eBjcI

[Merlin1958]

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