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LOTR prequel TV series 2.0


The Marquis de Leech

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3 minutes ago, Clueless Northman said:

"untold story"?
Yes, exactly. So now they're basically just putting out mediocre fan-fiction?

It could be good. We don't know. 

3 minutes ago, Clueless Northman said:

 

Shit, if they can make all that shit merely based on LOTR rights that were sold decades ago, without any additional deal with the Tolkien Estate,

I'm not sure I follow here. Tolkien assigned rights to Saul Zaentz and Middle-Earth Enterprises and that's how it goes.

I would expect that the Tolkien Estate is likely going to get a taste of the proceeds from this project, based on previous discussions about the LotR films and this new thing.

 

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1 hour ago, Ran said:

It could be good. We don't know. 

I'm not sure I follow here. Tolkien assigned rights to Saul Zaentz and Middle-Earth Enterprises and that's how it goes.

I would expect that the Tolkien Estate is likely going to get a taste of the proceeds from this project, based on previous discussions about the LotR films and this new thing.

 

In fairness, the story of Helm offers an interesting enough plot. It'll come down to the presentation - which is a similar position to the Amazon Show: the Second Age is teeming with intriguing stuff, it comes down to whether or not the show does a good job dramatising and presenting it, especially in a way that engages with Tolkien's tone and theme. 

As for this, personally I think I'd prefer live action. I'm just not a big follower of anime. But we'll see. 

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3 hours ago, Clueless Northman said:

"untold story"?
Yes, exactly. So now they're basically just putting out mediocre fan-fiction?

 

Shit, if they can make all that shit merely based on LOTR rights that were sold decades ago, without any additional deal with the Tolkien Estate, then US copyright system is even more fucked up than I thought.

They have the screen rights to The Lord of the Rings, including the appendices, so I'm not sure why that's a surprise. With that they can do absolutely anything as long as it is mentioned in the appendices (they can't do anything mentioned in The Hobbit, though, as MGM still have those rights and New Line are not keen to work with them again).

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2 hours ago, Werthead said:

They have the screen rights to The Lord of the Rings, including the appendices, so I'm not sure why that's a surprise. With that they can do absolutely anything as long as it is mentioned in the appendices (they can't do anything mentioned in The Hobbit, though, as MGM still have those rights and New Line are not keen to work with them again).

Speaking of, Amazon have those rights now, no?

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I'm really looking forward to this Anime experiment. It's the first proper animation of Tolkien's work in over forty years, and marks a break with the ubiquitous Jacksonian version.

I just hope that they treat the Dunlendings vs the Rohirrim as a morally grey conflict, rather than having the Dunlendings as Basically Orcs.

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2 hours ago, The Marquis de Leech said:

I'm really looking forward to this Anime experiment. It's the first proper animation of Tolkien's work in over forty years, and marks a break with the ubiquitous Jacksonian version.

Personally I would be looking forward to it if Boyens were not their consultant and if it was not produced by Hollywood. I suspect that they will try to emulate the Jackson movies as much as possible for the medium

I would prefer it if it was a "proper" Japanese anime with its own style even going for the feudal Japan look.

That and them adapting the stories Tolkien actually fleshed out.

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16 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

Speaking of, Amazon have those rights now, no?

When the MGM deal goes through, yes.

Quote

I'm really looking forward to this Anime experiment. It's the first proper animation of Tolkien's work in over forty years, and marks a break with the ubiquitous Jacksonian version.

In the announcement, they say specifically that the film will use Jackson's visual iconography and will be firmly set in the "film canon." So Helm's Deep will look like it does in the trilogy etc.

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57 minutes ago, Werthead said:

When the MGM deal goes through, yes.

In the announcement, they say specifically that the film will use Jackson's visual iconography and will be firmly set in the "film canon." So Helm's Deep will look like it does in the trilogy etc.

Well to be fair to the film version it looks mostly like what the fortress is supposed to look like other than the dike.

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8 hours ago, Werthead said:

When the MGM deal goes through, yes.

In the announcement, they say specifically that the film will use Jackson's visual iconography and will be firmly set in the "film canon." So Helm's Deep will look like it does in the trilogy etc.

Yes, but the plot doesn't interact with Rings proper or The Hobbit, all of the characters will be different (unless Gandalf shows up, or we have a framing prologue), and it will be animated. It might be in the film-canon, but apart from the locations, it's something different. No hobbits, Aragorn, or Elves. Or (on paper) no Orcs.

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10 hours ago, ASOIAFrelatedusername said:

Personally I would be looking forward to it if Boyens were not their consultant and if it was not produced by Hollywood. I suspect that they will try to emulate the Jackson movies as much as possible for the medium

I would prefer it if it was a "proper" Japanese anime with its own style even going for the feudal Japan look.

That and them adapting the stories Tolkien actually fleshed out.

They only have the rights  to the appendices. Helm's story is about as fleshed out as you can get, given what they have have available.   

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10 hours ago, The Marquis de Leech said:

They only have the rights  to the appendices. Helm's story is about as fleshed out as you can get, given what they have have available.   

Well yes, I am aware. I was critiquing their choice of story. Consider that we now are about as far from Jackson' Lotr movies as Jackson was from Rankin/Bass' version and another remake of Lotr would not be that unthinkable.

And my dreams are under no obligation to obey copyright laws.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/11/2021 at 8:56 AM, Corvinus85 said:

I don't like the Japanese anime styles, but will probably watch regardless. 

I do question the title, War of the Rohirrim is uninspired. Wouldn't The Horn of Helm or Hammerhand had been a better title?

I think using Rohirrim in the title helps the GP twig onto the LOTR aspect more easily. That would be my guess!

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On 6/20/2021 at 10:35 AM, Starkess said:

I think using Rohirrim in the title helps the GP twig onto the LOTR aspect more easily. That would be my guess!

They could easily be adding stuff like Saruman running the Dunlendings behind the scenes while being with the Rohirrim in order to provide him access to Isengard afterwards.  A little Palpatine-y if you will.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Major One Ring.net set leak/report.

The One Ring's reporting on the Amazon show has been fairly patchy so far, but their accuracy does seem to have increased (especially as more and more people who worked on the LotR trilogy have also started working on this, as that includes many TORN sources) recently. Take what you will from this:

  • The Tolkien Estate is very happy with how things are going. They have three lore experts/Tolkien scholars working on the production.
  • Amazon have licensed only specific sections from Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillion related to the Second Age and Numenor.
  • Men, Elves and Dwarves have their own dedicated production units, suggesting a POV structure with characters from all three races.
  • Scripts are digital-only, and distributed so the actors only have the material they need for a given scene. Most actors have no clue about the over-arcing storyline.
  • There is a fake production team shooting decoy footage on some sets whilst they're not in use by the "real" production. It sounds like they might even have built some sets specifically for decoy purposes.
  • Main unit shooting effectively wrapped in April 2021; we know from other inside reports that principle photography with the secondary units will end on 30 July, and pick-ups and plate shoots should be completed in August.
  • The show is aiming for a "mid" 2022 release rather than the Spring dates previously reported.
  • Halflings (hobbits) will be in the show, specifically a tribe of possible proto-Hartfoots. Sir Lenny Henry is reportedly playing one such character. Hobbits will be in the show but will not be playing a major role; this is still thousands of years before the Shire is founded.
  • Celebrimbor is a major character in Season 1. Sauron/Annatar is also present. Intriguingly, it sounds like his identity is not revealed in Season 1, suggesting that the forging of the One Ring will not take place until at least Season 2. That adds some credence to the idea that the show is not going to be covering the full Second Age over the course of the 5-7 seasons, but will instead focus on one story arc and explore that in a lot of detail, leaving other events to possible spin-offs (personally I think that's a terrible idea for pacing, but okay).
  • Some nudity is indeed present, but sex is not; reportedly one scene is a flashback to the corruption of the elves to become orcs, with naked elves thrown into concentration camp-like conditions (yikes).
  • Elves will have shorter hair than in the later films, possibly to differentiate the more martial, disciplined Noldor from other types.
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6 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

Curious what parts of Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion they didn't license. If they're showing a flashback about the corruption of Elves into Orcs, then at least mentioning Morgoth is part of the deal.

They wouldn't license the First Age Unfinished Tales material (no Turin and Tuor), nor the later Rohirric stuff. It's basically Numenor, Galadriel and Celeborn, and maybe that essay on the Druedain. Probably no Istari. From The Silmarillion, you're getting the Akallabeth, and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age... and maybe enough to establish Sauron and Orkish backstory.

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12 hours ago, The Marquis de Leech said:

Durin's Bane could be a plot, but certainly not in the first season. I suppose they could set it up with the Balrog only arriving in the depths of Moria in this time, having slowly made its way through the mountains ever since the War of Wrath. During this time, Khazad-dum experiences significant economic growth, in part thanks to the relationship with the Eregion elves, so it may be sufficient to just setup characters. There is also potential to do something with Gundabad. Maybe that's where the ice trolls come in. The Dwarves send an expedition to clear what is a holy site for them of any dark creatures, and setup a small settlement. Then they lose it in season 2-3, when Sauron invades Eriador.

 

 

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20 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

Curious what parts of Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion they didn't license. If they're showing a flashback about the corruption of Elves into Orcs, then at least mentioning Morgoth is part of the deal.

Morgoth is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings (certainly in the appendices).

And yes, there'll be action in the series. Three stuntmen have been injured, and reportedly the production has been reported to the New Zealand health and safety executive for not following lawful safety protocols.

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