Lord of the Rings TV Show [Amazon]

Cthulhu

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'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Gets Multiple-Season Commitment at Amazon

The retail and streaming giant on Monday announced that it has acquired global TV rights to the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy series.
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Amazon's LOTR series will be set in Middle-earth and explore new storylines preceding Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes a potential additional spinoff series.
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The Amazon LOTR series will be produced in-house at Amazon Studios alongside the Tolkien Estate and Trust, publisher HarperCollins and New Line Cinema.
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The news comes four months after Warner Bros. and the Tolkien estate settled an $80 million lawsuit after a five-year battle.
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At least it's a prequel and they're not trying to remake the movies. Yet. Then again it might be a remake of The Hobbit, which... I wouldn't mind, those movies were shit.
 
Channy

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So maybe they'd be doing more of the backstory/lore books, like the Silmarillariladingdong?
 
X-SOLDIER

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Harbinger O Great Justice
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As much as I love the films, I am ALL about seeing something where the pacing that movies have to adhere to would be removed, and let them explore through things in Middle Earth at a pace that's more like the books.

I am curious what other stuff they'd cover, since the Hobbit films covered most of the Return of the King's appendices content, but I'm hoping THE MOST for Tom Bombadil.





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HylianMogget

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I am curious what other stuff they'd cover, since the Hobbit films covered most of the Return of the King's appendices content, but I'm hoping THE MOST for Tom Bombadil.
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Probably stuff from the Silmarillion, which could be really awesome if done well, I think.

Whatever it is, I'm really happy it isn't gonna be a remake of the first three movies.
 
Tetsujin

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Film rights to Silmarilion etc were never sold and are still fiercely protected by the Tolkien Estate so they can't really touch anything besides LotR appendices stuff or make up something original.
 
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Tetsujin said:
Film rights to Silmarilion etc were never sold and are still fiercely protected by the Tolkien Estate so they can't really touch anything besides LotR appendices stuff or make up something original.
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The Amazon LOTR series will be produced in-house at Amazon Studios alongside the Tolkien Estate and Trust, publisher HarperCollins and Warner Bros. Entertainment's New Line Cinema. Amazon's LOTR series will be set in Middle-earth and explore new storylines preceding Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes a potential additional spinoff series.

...Sharon Tal Yguado, Amazon's new head of scripted: “We are honored to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth.”

...The news comes four months after Warner Bros. and the Tolkien estate settled an $80 million lawsuit after a five-year battle. That happened after Warners offshoot New Line Cinema and the Tolkien estate waged a courtroom battle over profit participation from the film franchise that consisted of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), as well as 2013 prequel The Hobbit. The property is a multibillion-dollar worldwide franchise.
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The Tolkien Estate is very much involved in this after all the legal stuff that'd been going on, so I still think it's a possibility – depending on how the series goes in their eyes – that the Silmarillion's content isn't necessarily untouchable.





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Tetsujin

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Their involvement is probably specifically *because* of the legal stuff. I'd guess it's checking the scripts to make sure they stay within the realm of only what they have the license to, i.e. Hobbit and LotR.

Christopher Tolkien is still the head of the Estate and he literally disowned his son at one point over disagreements over the movies.
Maybe when he's dead and depending on who's gonna be in charge of the estate there might be a change in attitude but for now there's no chance they'll let anyone touch that other stuff.
 
Cthulhu

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The problem / challenge is off course whether the Silmarillion or the appendices or anything is adaptable to a TV show, and whether it'll have mass-appeal. TBF I doubt it. If they're going for something niche that might work for the hardcore book fans, then maybe. But if they're going for a GoT competitor, they have to bring something good.

I'm going to bet they'll try and do an original storyline(s), based loosely on the universe with a large helping of GoT sauce made of giant's blood (read: dicks), plot thickener and everybody dies.
 
Lex

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Three points, two of which are very contentious according to the general sway of opinion in this thread:

1. I'm really pleased this is happening
2. I'm really mad that Amazon won over Netflix (even though I have Prime... I just don't think Amazon's original content is anywhere near what Netflix's is)
3. Dare I say it - I'm slightly disappointed that this isn't a re-tread of the LOTR story? Yes the movies are amazing (IMO) and will always exist, but what with CG advancement and having real time to develop the story over a series, I was looking forward to seasons of LOTR that leave very little out of the books like the movies had to.

#bonus hipster comment: LOTR was the first "big" book I ever read when I was a young child, long before the movies were a thing. I'm obviously making the assumption that anyone who touches the LOTR universe will treat it with the love and care it deserves, as Peter Jackson did (I suppose that's a matter of opinion, but I certainly think he gave it an incredible homage). I think that's why I immediately got excited when I saw this news a week or so ago. It's not like me to be the optimist, but a jaunt back into Tolkeinland? Fuck yes.
 
Shademp

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I echo the sentiments of the LeX-SOLDIER fusion. :neo:

(Apart from the Amazon vs Netflix thing, where I have no formulated opinion whatsoever)
 
Tetsujin

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Tetsujin said:
Christopher Tolkien is still the head of the Estate and he literally disowned his son at one point over disagreements over the movies.
Maybe when he's dead and depending on who's gonna be in charge of the estate there might be a change in attitude but for now there's no chance they'll let anyone touch that other stuff.
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Well then: http://www.theonering.net/torwp/201...olkien-resigns-as-director-of-tolkien-estate/

:monster:

tl;dr he resigned (back in August in fact) and the tv series is already part of the Estate being more willing to cooperate as tv rights were not part of the rights JRR sold back in the day. That's also why Saul Zaentz' Middle-Earth Enterprises, the current movie right holders are not involved.
 
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X-SOLDIER

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Unrelated, but LotR-related and there's no more appropriate thread for this. Dear god, he's SO fucking adorable. My heart. <3







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