Lord of the Rings TV Series in Development - How could this POSSIBLY go wrong...

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Comicsgeist said:
In the same way that Hollywood has always got adaptions of his work right, (from the Shining and Misery to Stand by Me, Shawshank and Delores Claibourne), by turning the Stephen King in your Stephen King adaption down from 11 to about 6 and avoiding all the stupid coke fueled shit he wrote, ditching the stilted dialogue and aiming for a satisfying ending that probably best ignores the book.
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I was fine with the actual ending to Dark Tower, as in the epilogue, but it was a lot of the stuff in the run up to that ending starting in book 5 that was.... inconsistent at the least.

A lot of it was King pulling Rian Johnson style "subverting of expectations" long before that was a trend as a sort of meta commentary on the nature of epic fantasy storytelling I guess, but it was mostly lame and unsatisfying.

I still can't get over how lame the final confrontation with the Crimson King was, his appearance in the book Insomnia painted him as Pennywise on steroids and there was so much build up to the confrontation with Roland and then he turns out to be an old man like a "Demonic Santa Claus" throwing Snitches from Harry Potter and yelling "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The implication to me is that King originally intended each Dark Tower book to be a once in a blue moon thing, taking his time with it, but panicked after he got hit by that van and rushed out the final 3 books and the quality suffered.

The point is an adaptation would be a perfect opportunity to smooth over the flaws of the final 3 books.
 
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I hate to necro this thread, but a few days ago the plot synopsis came out. I wanted to see your thoughts on it.
https://www.theonering.net/torwp/20...ynopsis-for-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-series/
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Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
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PenguinSuitAlice said:
I hate to necro this thread, but a few days ago the plot synopsis came out. I wanted to see your thoughts on it.
https://www.theonering.net/torwp/20...ynopsis-for-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-series/
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sounds like they're doing the mid-to-late 2nd age and Sauron poisoning the minds of the Numenorean kings. I'm a little irked by calling Sauron "Tolkien's greatest villain", since the man himself would probably point to Morgoth over his servant, but this was probably written by a marketing intern who only saw the movies, at best.
 
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Absolutego said:
sounds like they're doing the mid-to-late 2nd age and Sauron poisoning the minds of the Numenorean kings. I'm a little irked by calling Sauron "Tolkien's greatest villain", since the man himself would probably point to Morgoth over his servant, but this was probably written by a marketing intern who only saw the movies, at best.
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This has quite a bit of potential, story wise. We could see the corruption of the Nazgûl, political maneuvering between the Elf-friends and the King's Men, Sauron in his fair form interacting with the Elven Smiths of Eregion and other major figures, the Fall of Númenor, flight of Elendil and his sons to Middle-Earth, and scourging of Eregion, the hiding of the 3 Rings, the epic battle where the forces of Ar-Pharazôn defeated the armies of Sauron, just to name a few. Let's pray they don't mess this up, which they probably will. I expect a slew of never-mentioned before strong female characters to be introduced. The only major female figures at this time were Tar-Míriel/Ar-Zimraphel (Ar-Pharazôn's wife and last rightful ruler of Númenor), Galadriel, and Celebrían(Elrond's future wife and Galadriel's daughter).
 
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Dom Cruise said:
This could be really cool, provided it isn't too Woke.
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I think a interesting way of telling the story would be telling it through Sauron's eyes as well as other figures. A sort of "Rise of Sauron", if you will. Have it start with the end of the First Era with an epic depiction the War of Wrath, having Sauron at his lowest, fleeing East when Thangorodrim is broken to avoid judgement by the Valar. Have it centered around his long-game plan to destroy the descendants of the Elves and Men who brought about Morgoth's downfall and how he almost completely succeeded at such.
 
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PenguinSuitAlice said:
Yes. Unironically. Tolkien's corpse is rolling in his grave.
https://www.theonering.net/torwp/2020/10/06/108573-sex-sensibility-amazons-nude-take-on-tolkien/

They are clearly trying to create a new Game of Thrones.
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Game of Thrones was pretty much G.R.R. Martin's fuck you to Tolkien. Tolkien had made a fantasy world filled with beauty, chastity, temperance, empathy, and a loving Creator who used the humblest members of His creation to save the world through their determination and sacrifice. G. R.R. Martin made a fantasy world that was basically "War of the Roses" filled with assholes and rape (and people getting raped in the asshole,) A world where common people lived at the mercy of corrupt aristocrats and impersonal natural forces. A world that stamps out idealism at every turn and if it has a Creator, He's probably the biggest asshole of all. It's is the polar opposite of LOTR and trying to twist Tolkien's work into a Grimdark Fantasy potboiler like GOT is akin to Cultural Vandalism. I hope whatever member(s) of the Tolkien estate that sold his work to Amazon enjoys their 30 pieces of silver, because once they die, they're going to have a very angry author coming after them in the next life.
 
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PenguinSuitAlice said:
This has quite a bit of potential, story wise. We could see the corruption of the Nazgûl, political maneuvering between the Elf-friends and the King's Men, Sauron in his fair form interacting with the Elven Smiths of Eregion and other major figures, the Fall of Númenor, flight of Elendil and his sons to Middle-Earth, and scourging of Eregion, the hiding of the 3 Rings, the epic battle where the forces of Ar-Pharazôn defeated the armies of Sauron, just to name a few. Let's pray they don't mess this up, which they probably will. I expect a slew of never-mentioned before strong female characters to be introduced. The only major female figures at this time were Tar-Míriel/Ar-Zimraphel (Ar-Pharazôn's wife and last rightful ruler of Númenor), Galadriel, and Celebrían(Elrond's future wife and Galadriel's daughter).
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And yet i fear the execution could fall short before adding any potential wokeness, it sounds interesting but too many franchise I like have been treated like crazy for me to feel hope at this point
 
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GodsofPegana said:
And yet i fear the execution could fall short before adding any potential wokeness, it sounds interesting but too many franchise I like have been treated like crazy for me to feel hope at this point
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Perfectly reasonable to feel that way given past evidence like Doctor Who and Star Wars fumbling their potential. However, and this is my optimism firing on all cylinder, I think Amazon spending such a ridiculous amount of money sends a message. That message is "we're not going to hire those fuckers who ruined Game of Thrones or anyone similar".
 
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PenguinSuitAlice said:
This has quite a bit of potential, story wise. We could see the corruption of the Nazgûl, political maneuvering between the Elf-friends and the King's Men, Sauron in his fair form interacting with the Elven Smiths of Eregion and other major figures, the Fall of Númenor, flight of Elendil and his sons to Middle-Earth, and scourging of Eregion, the hiding of the 3 Rings, the epic battle where the forces of Ar-Pharazôn defeated the armies of Sauron, just to name a few. Let's pray they don't mess this up, which they probably will. I expect a slew of never-mentioned before strong female characters to be introduced. The only major female figures at this time were Tar-Míriel/Ar-Zimraphel (Ar-Pharazôn's wife and last rightful ruler of Númenor), Galadriel, and Celebrían(Elrond's future wife and Galadriel's daughter).
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Oh, the setting is very promising. The execution of this show will be a literal execution of the setting - with a rusty old axe behind the tool shed. I have no confidence in this show, I have no doubt we will be treated to STRANG WAHMAN shit at all times in this show. Black muslim women will beat red-cap wearing KKK stand-ins. Sauron will rally his troops with Trump quotes. Tell me I'm wrong.

Pokemonquistador2 said:
Game of Thrones was pretty much G.R.R. Martin's fuck you to Tolkien. Tolkien had made a fantasy world filled with beauty, chastity, temperance, empathy, and a loving Creator who used the humblest members of His creation to save the world through their determination and sacrifice. G. R.R. Martin made a fantasy world that was basically "War of the Roses" filled with assholes and rape (and people getting raped in the asshole,) A world where common people lived at the mercy of corrupt aristocrats and impersonal natural forces. A world that stamps out idealism at every turn and if it has a Creator, He's probably the biggest asshole of all. It's is the polar opposite of LOTR and trying to twist Tolkien's work into a Grimdark Fantasy potboiler like GOT is akin to Cultural Vandalism. I hope whatever member(s) of the Tolkien estate that sold his work to Amazon enjoys their 30 pieces of silver, because once they die, they're going to have a very angry author coming after them in the next life.
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LOTR should look like this:
minas01.jpg

Ivory cities, rolling plains, ruins of former glory, heroic, virtuous kings ruling over brave warriors.
LOTR is a setting that cuts clearly between good and evil, it isn't GoT's "everyone is shades of grey", and that is its appeal. I would love a well-made show centred around that premise.
If it gives us well-written intrigue like GoT, it wouldn't fit, but I could accept it, if it is handled well.

But we all know: It won't. The extend of imagination in terms of intrigue of the people involved in the making of this show is limited exactly to the point of "misgendering someone behind their back and making catty comments."
 
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RomanesEuntDomus said:
Ivory cities, rolling plains, ruins of former glory, heroic, virtuous kings ruling over brave warriors.
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Some of the things that could be interesting about this time period is that there are many reversals of that. There aren't any ruins of former glory. Man, Dwarves, and Elves are currently in their Golden Age at this time. They are currently making the structures that will become the ruins. As for heroic virtuous kings, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden was certainly a great, even heroic king, but by no means a wise one. He literally tried to conquer what is basically heaven after he had conquered almost everything else. It might be interesting to show what kind of kings the Nazgûl were before they became Wraiths, perhaps many of them were good people that fell prey to Sauron's corruption.
 
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Pokemonquistador2 said:
Game of Thrones was pretty much G.R.R. Martin's fuck you to Tolkien. Tolkien had made a fantasy world filled with beauty, chastity, temperance, empathy, and a loving Creator who used the humblest members of His creation to save the world through their determination and sacrifice. G. R.R. Martin made a fantasy world that was basically "War of the Roses" filled with assholes and rape (and people getting raped in the asshole,) A world where common people lived at the mercy of corrupt aristocrats and impersonal natural forces. A world that stamps out idealism at every turn and if it has a Creator, He's probably the biggest asshole of all. It's is the polar opposite of LOTR and trying to twist Tolkien's work into a Grimdark Fantasy potboiler like GOT is akin to Cultural Vandalism. I hope whatever member(s) of the Tolkien estate that sold his work to Amazon enjoys their 30 pieces of silver, because once they die, they're going to have a very angry author coming after them in the next life.
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IIRC they only sold it with several contractual clauses that limit what Amazon can do (can't race/gender swap canon characters, limiting them to a stretch of material timeline-wise which is a blank slate, and most importantly, NOTHING Amazon does with LOTR can fuck up the existing lore meaning they can't rewrite the trilogy and everything they do has to amount to jack shit in the overall narrative as far as "something that happened in a vacuum that no one remembers and had no impact on the world around it".

They also forced Amazon to take on a relative of Tolkein who's job was to police them and serve as a source material consultant and it was widely stated the guy was super serious in trying to tard wrangle Amazon and their hires to keep them from raping the source material and pointing out when they got dangerously close to voiding the above terms of the contract, which would nullify the entire endevour and cost them the right to do the show. IIRC he eventually ragequit because he realized that the creators hired by Amazon were actively trying their best to make it so they could just ignore him and having their own lawyers combing over the restrictions looking for any and all loopholes to get around said restrictions to allow them to rape the source material as opposed to creating glorified fan fiction that would be ignored and treated as such by normies.
 
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