The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series

Well here we go:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2316587

Key paragraphs:

Amazon today announced it has acquired the global television rights to The Lord of the Rings, based on the celebrated fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, with a multi-season commitment. The upcoming Amazon Prime Original will be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment....

Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes a potential additional spin-off series.

I nominate dmac as director.

I hope it's an expanded adaptation of The Hobbit. Feel like there was a lot of underexplored threads in Jackson's sadly abbreviated version.

Raggett so help me

I care for your employment prospects.

Anyway:

Amazon should make a sexy murder-mystery series about the elves and call it RIVENDELL

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) November 13, 2017

Will they finally find neeson a role is what I want to know

it's all sean bean this time, sorry

Liam Neeson as Bombadil, you know it.

Be great if this was all a scam and a cover to be nothing but Tom Bombadil. Seven seasons of it.

Neeson would make a pretty solid Theoden, maybe.

"What did we actually get the rights TO?!"

"...a couple of poems?"

Goldberry taken by orcs

Neeson now too old for aragorn or boromir it surely too young yet for theoden

A neeson wizard now what would that look like I wonder

bombadil will at last get his futterwacken

By christ I try not to fp posters I like but

Neeson is i think the right age for Theoden, he's a solid 10 years older than Bernard Hill was when he filmed his role. though Neeson doesn't look it. i think if you beard him up he'd look the part.

Literally over the hill

And at least twice as big as an underhill

either way this time around my request is they should lean a bit more on the spectral and ghostly and terrifying side of the Nazgul and less the screaming power metal side.

And galadriel not to be a Halloween witch pls

"new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring" is incredibly fucking vague.

Oh I think it lets you know exactly what we are in for.

Especially considering how they......"improved"....the hobbit

and featuring James Corden as Radagast the Brown

i've actually never read any of the posthumous ephemera other than The Silmarillion (which rules so hard)...

Pretty sure this will have more boobs in than PJ's version.

I want to see the Snoke = Bombadil chronicles imo

https://km-515.livejournal.com/1042.html

LotR isn't nearly horny enough source material for prestige tv, they'll have to work on that a bit

it is perhaps the least horny literature

they paid $250m for this o_O

If New Line Cinema's involved, does that mean that this is an extension of the Jackson movies?

it is perhaps the least horny literature

Don't worry, the fans have filled the gaps.

If New Line Cinema's involved, does that mean that this is an extension of the Jackson movies?

The exact nature of what's happening remains kinda maddeningly unclear. The two key factors:

1) As noted, to what extent is this an extension of the Jackson movie interpretations, with associated backstory (not always Tolkien's).

2) What is the estate's involvement, and what rights in question have been sold to what texts?

The fact that Saul Zaentz's Tolkien Enterprises setup isn't mentioned at all is telling, but I'm not sure of the exact implications.

Boromir often had the horn iirc

this is a very silly idea. the answer to making an LOTR series is certainly not to make it more "adult" in language or sexual content. If they want to make it more like GOT, why not zoom back 1000 years and focus on the wars between the men and Nazgul, focusing on the rise of the Witch King and the Fall of Arnor or something. That could be cool.

What isn't cool: hobbit sex.

they haven't specifically said they're making it more adult tbf

and I'm not sure the Tolkien estate would sign off on something like that

S3, EP2:

Sam has an honest talk with Gollum. Eowyn has a realization about Aragorn. Theoden makes a fateful decision. Merry and Pippin travel south with a new friend.

"The One With the Mathoms"

What isn't cool: hobbit sex.

You say that, but did you know that hobbit women all have thick hair on the top of their breasts? Changes everything.

they haven't specifically said they're making it more adult tbf

― Number None, Monday, November 13, 2017 5:18 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and I'm not sure the Tolkien estate would sign off on something like that

― Number None, Monday, November 13, 2017 5:23 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

There was a report a few weeks back that they were going to take a darker, more thrones-like take on the subject matter, but it seems like they are going to go in a different direction.

The goofy happy clown direction.

the elves are immortal so they've all gotten tired of fucking already. they're over it

https://78.media.tumblr.com/2d0ef4d6fd1d28753baa0883b61bb800/tumblr_inline_ngfx0xABE61szmjhd.gif

"When there's a whip there's a way."

"But you're not an orc."

"Context my dear Bilbo."

LotR isn't nearly horny enough source material for prestige tv, they'll have to work on that a bit

― ciderpress, Monday, November 13, 2017 1:55 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it is perhaps the least horny literature

― harbinger of failure (Jon not Jon), Monday, November 13, 2017 1:58 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Don't worry, the fans have filled the gaps.

― Simon H., Monday, November 13, 2017 2:40 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The exact nature of what's happening remains kinda maddeningly unclear. The two key factors:

1) As noted, to what extent is this an extension of the Jackson movie interpretations, with associated backstory (not always Tolkien's).

2) What is the estate's involvement, and what rights in question have been sold to what texts?

― Ned Raggett, Monday, November 13, 2017 2:43 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Found it:

Amazon today announced it has acquired the global television rights to all The Lord of the Rings fan fiction based on the celebrated fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, with a multi-season commitment. The upcoming Amazon Prime Original will be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, FantasyFuckz.biz, and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment....
Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new, sizzling-hot elf-sex storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes potential additional spin-off series.

The Lays of Beleriand indeed!

Beren & Luthien & Carol & Bob

they paid $250m for this o_O
― Number None, Monday, November 13, 2017 8:58 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Legend of the Seeker" would have gone for a song.

BATTLEFIELD HAM dekalogy or gtfo

Squid Game had an 87% completion rate. Resident Evil was canceled for having a 45% completion rate. https://t.co/lMn7nyTLh2

— Ed Zitron (@edzitron) April 3, 2023

The whole thread with Zitron and David Ruddock's response there says it all.

“more dramatic story turns”

vacillating between “oh no” and “hell yeah”, the latter being more of morbid interest

Yeah I'm with you there. As I said elsewhere: "more dramatic story turns" = Galadriel and Halbrand are still in love, and are secretly long-lost twins. Meantime, Not Gandalf is arrested for wandering around with a tiny Harfoot. Elsewhere, whatshername and Kevin on Numenor take their relationship to new levels of drama by actually HOLDING EACH OTHER'S HANDS.

Oh dear elven gods do we have to buckle in for another 50 hours of hearing the exaggerated rolled R in Numenorrrrrr and Galadrrrrrriel and Elrrrrrrond?

Like, wouldn't the world be better off if someone had broken into Tolkien's house or hobbit-hole or whatever and simply rrrrremoved the rrr key from his typewrrriterrr?

The Lod of the Ings

let’s not go to MorrrrrRRH’dorrrrrrrrrrRRRHH’ afterrrh all

'Tis a silly place

Hahah no.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCwmXY_f-e0

I know I'll watch this and hate myself for it

same

stupid sexy sauron

I can't remember if I finished this or not... It made the Hobbit trilogy look like Godfather II in comparison.

if you didn't finish it, you missed the key part of the story re: Mordor

and therefore have no idea just how unfortunately literal that sentence is

sauron in his cunning:
https://toytales.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/DCS_2201-MT.jpg

lmao omar

that is still one of the funniest scenes in recent memory

Oh god

I will admittedly watch it, and will have a few laughs.

It's always good to remember that JJ Abrams is indirectly responsible for this.

The second age is weird, there's like two epic wars that could conclude this series. Is this show ending on the first one with the fall of Numenor? Or the 2nd one, where Gil-Galad and Elendil get YOU DIED Elden Ring style by Sauron on the slopes of Mt. Doom? Would like to hope it's limited to 3 seasons and you get the downfall of Numenor this year and the final season depicts the established peace afterwards, founding of Arnor and Gondor and then the final battle in Morder...

And then can we get a proper showrunner for the First Age and Fall of Gondolin? Or just make the latter into a sick 3 hour standalone film?

Also now I really want FromSoft to make a game that takes place in Middle Earth.

All I want is a 12 episode Children of Hurin.

Dare to dream

I’m not that invested in LotR so mostly wasn’t bothered by whatever bothered everyone about the first season. Except the last episode, which was really really bad.

“No, REALLY.” https://gizmodo.com/lotr-rings-of-power-season-2-behind-the-scenes-trailer-1851482298

So...it's come to this:

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/tom-bombadil-the-rings-of-power-first-look

least laughable fan theory to feature on-screen at last

They seem to be operating with the assumption that Bombadil has to be one of the good guys.

no! NO!!

hearing the showrunners have hired lin-manuel miranda to adapt tom bombadil’s songs for the screen

counterpoint:

TOM BOMBADIL: Old Tom Bombadil is a merry...
[THE BEASTIE BOYS: FELLOW]
Bright blue his [JACKET] is
and his [BOOTS] are [YELLOW]

— 📻 King Boy T #OXO 🇵🇸 (@nailheadparty) August 13, 2021

If they leaned in hard to this, it would automatically become the greatest adaptation yet, but.

I appreciate the article's inclusion of Tolkien's statements over time being exasperated that fans refused to accept that Tom Bombadil was just this guy

just this guy (oldest, fatherless)

Basically, this is him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yC_dkbowus

Even Gandalf says if he was given the ring he'd probably just eat it or something although personally I think he'd just give it to Sauron either because he's the rightful owner, or maybe just to see what would happen.

Even Elrond's like, "Oh yeah, that weird fuckin' guy."

The amount of sheer waffle in this new piece. Also this image is Hannibal for straight people or something:

https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/rings-of-power-season-2-sam-hazeldine-morfydd-clark.jpg

"Yes yes I know you pleaded your case to me in the barn and I showed I was bent on genocide because of my husband I haven't been looking for and then you showed you were an asshole with the Rube Goldberg sword but let's have a fine little meal here. Love the drapery!"

Galadriel made some pretty questionable choices in Season 1 and really empowered the Dark Lord to really rise from nothing on the raft to the point where he could, as Patrick said, have access to some of the big power players in Middle-earth. She's got to deal with that in Season 2. Her friends might look at her differently and not trust her as much, and then she has to really come to terms with that.

It's such a "showrunner" quote to refer to some of the characters Tolkien created as "some of the big power players in Middle-earth."

"Sauron is going to be like, "Hey I'm just spitballing here but what if we made one ring for me?" We're going to circle back to that concept this season as he really embraces his role as the Big Bad."

The whole thing is a metaphor for the writers' room they're trying to bulldoze. Season 1 they presented themselves as the good guys, their fiendish plans were exposed when everyone who watched this retched, and now they're in for evil.

Many more links to all kinds of set visits here.

nothing i read or hear makes me regret avoiding this completely

This wisdom.

the kind of discipline which makes me feel sure i could have passed on the one ring if offered

i wish i could unwatch s1

so do all who live in such times

Amazing...ly WTF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzJDzIDv0mo

lol wut

I thought it said “New season 1 August 29” and I was like “huh, they actually walked back the first season, eh? Good idea.”