Spoilers Lord of the Rings TV series

[Ar-Pharazon]

The kings of Numenore no doubt became less and less elvish as the generations went on. Ar-Pharazon may not even look elvish.

So, I got my Ages mixed up. Still very excited about Second Age stories. Happy no 3rd Age. I've had enough there. Why is First Age off limits though? Hopefully that ban gets lifted after 3000 years of stories a few years from now. Working backwards by Age works real well though from a viewing standpoint. I gotta reread Silmarillion.

If they were doing an anthology style of show, which would be cool, they should have started in the early SA and went forward to the inevitable fall of Numenore.

 

[saddestmoon]

Personally speaking, I can’t wait to see how the style of Numenor is realised - considering Amazon are attempting to match it visually to the style / design languages Jackson’s LOTRs movies evoked.

Throughout the LOTRs movies, we have less than numerous (pun-intended!) reference points for Numenor in the style of armour Elendil, Isildur and their soldiers wore at the Battle of the Last Alliance (perhaps not direct references as such but references nonetheless)

We also have Amon Hen (Weathertop) as another reference point for architecture - although decayed, ruined and more an ancient site. It’s basically the base remains of a watchtower - so not much to overtly go on, as most of it is missing / disintegrated.

Probably a better example of Numenorean arch style might be the Tower of Orthanc - which Saruman resides in (as well as the location of a simaril).

Overall, I can’t wait to see what Amazon come up with!

Also - great to see more casting! I’m picking Will Poultier will play Elros - at least that’s my hunch!)

 

[BK613]

@saddestmoon I agree I can't wait to see what visual style they come up with.

 

[saddestmoon]

http://nzh.tw/12268626

...and what was rumoured is now official: it’s going to be filmed in New Zealand!

Gotta admit: I live in NZ, so am very excited that this is happening here!

Huzzah!

 

[WinterSoldier]

Jfc, please no. Can't we at least wait 20-30 years?

 

[Professor Zoom]

Jfc, please no. Can't we at least wait 20-30 years?

Yeah, I would rather have a new and different fantasy series adapted, a different world to explore.
I have zero enthusiasm for a Lord of the Rings series.

 

[WinterSoldier]

Yeah, I would rather have a new and different fantasy series adapted, a different world to explore.
I have zero enthusiasm for a Lord of the Rings series.

I'm personally just happy with the movie trilogy as it is. An amazing adaptation. I cannot see how a new adaptation could improve in any significant way, and I think the format of TV would only hurt the series.
But yes, a new fantasy series would be great! Do studios think we're only willing to watch things if we recognise the name Ridiculous.

 

[StarMan]

^I don't believe they're remaking the movies. IIRC this is going to be set during the 2nd Age.

http://nzh.tw/12268626

...and what was rumoured is now official: it’s going to be filmed in New Zealand!

Gotta admit: I live in NZ, so am very excited that this is happening here!

Huzzah!

Ditto! Back when the movies were being filmed they were after 6'2"+ males to play Uruk Hai extras, but I didn't follow it up even though the casting wasn't that far away. I've always regretted it. I might have to give it another shot this time if they could use a tall dude in the background.

 

[USS Firefly]

I would prefer a show about the Magician after the novels by Raymond Feist

 

[fireproof78]

Elves are magic beings in the books so... You can choose to be immortal (which has it's own price) or a very long lived mortal instead.

To the best of my knowledge, only Elrond and his family line (due to being half-Elven) have this choice. However, the Elves in Middle Earth did have the choice to remain in ME but would fade and become less, due to ignoring the command of the Valar to return to Valinor.

 

[saddestmoon]

I'm personally just happy with the movie trilogy as it is. An amazing adaptation. I cannot see how a new adaptation could improve in any significant way, and I think the format of TV would only hurt the series.
But yes, a new fantasy series would be great! Do studios think we're only willing to watch things if we recognise the name Ridiculous.

To clarify: It’s not going to be a series remake of the LOTRs books (eg: the story of Frodo, and his quest to Mordor to destroy the One Ring): it’s looking like it’s going to be focused on a period of Middle Earths history - literally thousands of years before the events that take place in the New Line Cinema movies (with the small exception of the Prologue scenes at the beginning of the FOTRs). In other words, predominantly different characters, from a different age - but still with a thread of the early story of the creation of the One Ring by Sauron.

So highly unlikely (I’ll bet the farm) to be a reboot of the LOTRs movies.

 

[BK613]

To the best of my knowledge, only Elrond and his family line (due to being half-Elven) have this choice. However, the Elves in Middle Earth did have the choice to remain in ME but would fade and become less, due to ignoring the command of the Valar to return to Valinor.

Pretty much correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-elven#The_Choice

 

[Jedman67]

I would prefer a show about the Magician after the novels by Raymond Feist

Magician was optioned for a television adaptation in 2018; Feist announced on his blog last month that the project fell through.
https://www.tor.com/2019/08/23/the-riftwar-tv-show-is-no-longer-happening/

To clarify: It’s not going to be a series remake of the LOTRs books (eg: the story of Frodo, and his quest to Mordor to destroy the One Ring): it’s looking like it’s going to be focused on a period of Middle Earths history - literally thousands of years before the events that take place in the New Line Cinema movies (with the small exception of the Prologue scenes at the beginning of the FOTRs). In other words, predominantly different characters, from a different age - but still with a thread of the early story of the creation of the One Ring by Sauron.

So highly unlikely (I’ll bet the farm) to be a reboot of the LOTRs movies.

The series is set in "The Second Age"; aside from some teases little is know. It's projected to be 5 seasons; speculation is that it shows the settling of Numenor or the making of the rings of power.

 

[XCV330]

I would prefer a show about the Magician after the novels by Raymond Feist

I'm holding out for Susanna Clarke one day finishing the sequel novel to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel and BBC getting the rights.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I'm personally just happy with the movie trilogy as it is. An amazing adaptation. I cannot see how a new adaptation could improve in any significant way, and I think the format of TV would only hurt the series.
But yes, a new fantasy series would be great! Do studios think we're only willing to watch things if we recognise the name Ridiculous.

Actually, yes, I think they do believe people will watch because of name recognition. And they aren’t 100% wrong.

I get they want something with brand recognition to cut through the noise. But at the same time, they have to pay for that brand.

I would rather they risk less money on something that might not have have the same recognition in the general public but a solid fan base of readers.

 

[USS Firefly]

Magician was optioned for a television adaptation in 2018; Feist announced on his blog last month that the project fell through.
https://www.tor.com/2019/08/23/the-riftwar-tv-show-is-no-longer-happening/

Ok that is too bad

 

[fireproof78]

Do studios think we're only willing to watch things if we recognise the name Ridiculous.

Yes, studios do think that. Hence the huge number of properties being rebooted or revisited.

Now, this series is slightly different, since it is going in to a era that is largely crafted by Tolkien in broad strokes, and is not quite as filled out as the actual Lord of the Rings story. And, it occurs before the 3rd Age of Middle Earth, when the book and film events occur.

So, it will be new enough but still familiar enough to draw people in.

 

[Professor Zoom]

So, it will be new enough but still familiar enough to draw people in.

I think people will come for the name alone, at least to try out the pilot. I feel like that's a pretty safe bet. Will they stick around when it's not quite the story they were expecting? That's the 200 million dollar question--or however much they are spending.

I hope it's good, for those that are interested, and maybe that will get other companies interested in other untapped properties.

 

[kirk55555]

I'm happy enough with a LotR world tv show, especially since its set far from the movie timeline. There isn't a lot of good "high fantasy" worlds out there (especially modern stuff, its all either shitty Game of thrones ripoffs or shitty LOTR ripoffs), so might as well go with one of the, if not THE, best "high fantasy" series. That said, I'd happily take a series based on the Dragonlance books, but semi-obscure D&D spinoffs really aren't something people make tV shows from. So, when it comes to mainstream fantasy, LOTR is really the best choice.

Besides LOTR, what are they supposed to do that has any name recognition? There really isn't any. Even just talking about fantasy book series that are popular, its pretty slim. The boring as fuck Wheel of Time shit is getting adapted somewhere else, and LOTR ripoff Shanara already failed as a YA series on MTV. One of those shitty Brandon Sanderson franchises, maybe? But those tend to be super YA focused, and not the same general appeal as a LOTR series. The Chronicles of Narnia might have the name value even as a fairly kiddie series, but its apparently getting more movie adaptations, so that's out.

LOTR is a great choice for basing a series that just so happens to be the only real choice if they're going for a fantasy series with a good amount of name recognition.

 

[fireproof78]

I wish Sanderson would get adaptations. He is one of my all time favorites for fantasy authors.