LOTR TV Series coming to Amazon!

[DigiFluid]

you mention 'elros is clearly seen as a man' and elrond ' is now visibly an elf'

but how? from my readings the only people Tolkien said to have pointy ears were hobbits. yes elves were slightly taller then men but not too much so.

and men and elves can of course produce offspring who are in turn capable of producing children themselves. so they are very much alike (unlike say mules) and must have the same number of chromosomes. though of course i am sure Tolkien had no consideration for DNA issues or chromosome counting....

in the 'the shaping of middle earth (i believe that was the volume it is in) it would seem that Tolkien envisioned the elves has a sort of first iteration of humanity with men being the second

idk, that's what i took from it---damned ambiguous those notes Christoper was thumbing through

Ah yes, you've caught out a bit where I'm thinking about how to visually embellish, without having fully thought through the how of that. The narrative point I was driving at there was to visually distinguish the two as separate species at the very end, rather than something silly and boring like having a scene where they sit down and do a pro/con chart.

Perhaps it could be as simple as distinguishing hair/makeup/prosthetics. For the younger/pre-choice Elros and Elrond, being "half-Elven," make them look a bit more 'halfway.' Smaller ear prosthetics than the other Elves, gentler eyebrows, that kind of thing. And then when doing the post-choice, put the Elrond actor into the more 'full' Elvish look with the full ear prosthetics/more severe eyebrows (hello Hugo Weaving)/etc, while the Elros actor gets shown for the first time as the actor's natural self.

Just spitballing here, I'm not totally sure how to make it work.

[Chaka-Z0]

like maybe we could see Elros not JUST choosing to become a man, but becoming a man via being a trans woman who feels she is a dragon all while questing to find a way to store and capture carbon

now THAT, that would make the show

Elrond walks in, head shaved, wearing a purple leather jacket

E: I've had enough of Sauron and his transpacific sexist comments!
Guard: What should we do sir? Awaiting your orders sir!
E: Did you just assume my gender? I'm a tripod nu-elf genderless non-hexadecimal being, respect me.

[magi877]

Elrond walks in, head shaved, wearing a purple leather jacket

how very avant garde and 'fierce' that would be

[magi877]

Ah yes, you've caught out a bit where I'm thinking about how to visually embellish, without having fully thought through the how of that. The narrative point I was driving at there was to visually distinguish the two as separate species at the very end, rather than something silly and boring like having a scene where they sit down and do a pro/con chart.

Perhaps it could be as simple as distinguishing hair/makeup/prosthetics. For the younger/pre-choice Elros and Elrond, being "half-Elven," make them look a bit more 'halfway.' Smaller ear prosthetics than the other Elves, gentler eyebrows, that kind of thing. And then when doing the post-choice, put the Elrond actor into the more 'full' Elvish look with the full ear prosthetics/more severe eyebrows (hello Hugo Weaving)/etc, while the Elros actor gets shown for the first time as the actor's natural self.

Just spitballing here, I'm not totally sure how to make it work.

yes, good ideas, sorry to be the Mr Stickler jerk in the bunch

whenever something like this comes up though I always get the queasy feeling that the TPTB's are not putting as much thought or effort into story and visuals as we the fans do in our online postings and chats

sad--and they are getting paid to do it

[DigiFluid]

Looks like episodes 1 and 2 will be directed by the guy who directed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

https://deadline.com/2019/07/the-lor...na-1202640048/

[Chaka-Z0]

Looks like they got a solid team! Can't wait.

[DigiFluid]

Creative team for the series announced:

Lord of the Rings Creative Team Set at Amazon

Meet the writers, exec producers, costume designer, VFX supervisor and Tolkien scholar, among others, who are working on the big-budget fantasy drama.

Amazon's Lord of the Rings team is coming into focus.

On Saturday, Amazon used its time at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour to unmask the creative teams behind the big-budget fantasy drama. Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke announced Saturday that the creative team has been "working for months" on breaking the first season and a global casting search is under way. Production, she said, begins in 2020.

The series, picked up in a huge $250 million global rights deal, will be overseen by showrunners and exec producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay (Star Trek 4), with J.A. Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) set to direct the first two episodes. Bayona and producing partner Belén Atienza will also serve as executive producers.

"This team is our Fellowship — assembled from around the world, all walking the road together to try and accomplish something far greater than any of us could on our own. We feel humbled and extremely lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring and talented women and men,” McKay and Payne said in a joint statement.

Here's who's doing what on Lord of the Rings for Amazon:

• Executive producers Lindsey Weber (10 Cloverfield Lane), Bruce Richmond (Game of Thrones), Gene Kelly (Boardwalk Empire) and Amazon's former head of genre Sharon Tal Yguado
• Writer/executive producers Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad), Jason Cahill (The Sopranos) and Justin Doble (Stranger Things)
• Consulting producers Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) and Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4)
• Producer Ron Ames (The Aviator)
• Writer/co-producer Helen Shang (Hannibal)
• Writing consultant Glenise Mullins
• Costume designer Kate Hawley (Suicide Squad)
• Production designer Rick Heinrichs (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
• Visual effects supervisor Jason Smith (The Revenant)
• Tolkien scholar Tom Shippe
• Illustrator/concept artist John Howe

"As our journey into Middle-earth begins, we are in excellent hands with J.D. and Patrick at the helm, with this incredible team of talent that they’ve assembled,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “The depth and breadth of the experience of this writing and production team is truly awesome, with a real respect for and knowledge of Tolkien lore. We’re so happy to have them on board and to see this exciting series start to come to life.”

And in case you missed it (you likely didn't), here's Amazon's official logline for the series: "Set in middle-earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring."

Amazon has yet to formally confirm any casting on the series, though sources confirmed Markella Kavenagh will play a role in it.

Amazon's Lord of the Rings commitment is believed to be for five seasons — plus a potential spinoff. Once production budgets, casting, writers, producers and visual effects are factored in, the total for the Rings series could hit $1 billion. Yes, $1 billion for a TV show.

[Ascended Jonas]

Looking forward to the series especially after conformation of Tom Shippey working with Amazon prime.

[Elwenn]

Looking forward to the series especially after conformation of Tom Shippey working with Amazon prime.

+1!
Shippey was interviewed by a German Tolkien website yesterday:

Amazon has a relatively free hand when it comes to adding something, since, as I said, very few details are known about this time span. The Tolkien Estate will insist that the main shape of the Second Age is not altered. Sauron invades Eriador, is forced back by a Númenorean expedition, is returns to Númenor. There he corrupts the Númenoreans and seduces them to break the ban of the Valar. All this, the course of history, must remain the same. But you can add new characters and ask a lot of questions, like: What has Sauron done in the meantime? Where was he after Morgoth was defeated? Theoretically, Amazon can answer these questions by inventing the answers, since Tolkien did not describe it. But it must not contradict anything which Tolkien did say. That’s what Amazon has to watch out for. It must be canonical, it is impossible to change the boundaries which Tolkien has created, it is necessary to remain “tolkienian”.

https://www.tolkiengesellschaft.de/3...g-lotronprime/

[magi877]

+1!
Shippey was interviewed by a German Tolkien website yesterday:

https://www.tolkiengesellschaft.de/3...g-lotronprime/

yes, the insistence of the T.E. that certain requirements are in place is a great thing, I agree

but, knowing that the source material for the 2nd age is sparse it leaves room for a lot of shenanigans by ratings craving TPTB's

the parts where they say "What did Sauron do in the meantime?" etc

I can just see know TPTB's going extreme in their depictions of Numenorean debauchery fueled by Annatar

forcing in scenarios and scenes that who knows what their imagination will put in.

i am no prude, but i also do not want o see things that would be very much counter to the 'spirit' of Tolkien's writing style-like the way Laketown was depicted and Tauriel was forced into the Hobbit

[magi877]

the name being used by amazon- simply lord of the rings on prime, is doing harm

look at this video, there are others like it from well known,self appointed critics on YT. people who have a good sized following

they think that this show will be a remake of the Jackson trilogy and they are also using the fact of D&D now being involved is a vehicle for these critics to make silly predictions based on a misunderstanding centered around the title

I know its about name recognition, but hopefully amazon will come up with a name for the show that makes it clear it is not a LOTR's remake

the guy in this video-despite the fact that info from AMAZON itself concerning the content, like the tweet "Welcome to the 2nd age", is easily available, is just making silly predictions based on ignorance

i am hoping this kind of thing does not do harm to the show before it even gets started with negative 'buzz'

[magi877]

anyone here read the books BEREN and LUTHIEN or CHILDREN OF HURIN?

If so, just curious as to your thoughts--couldn't find any threads other then some Silmarillion ones that have not had any activity for about 12 years

I like all of these Christoper Tolkien 'arranged' works of his father's notes and drafts. The books tell the story of the creative process as well as the actual story

Now, not to spread to much "cheese", but anyone else see any parallels between BERN and LUTHIEN and that old Cruise movie LEGEND?

the movie is no where near par with Tolkien first off, let me be clear!

but there are some things similar that perhaps the movie TPTB's took inspiration from Tolkien on?

Like Jack's mission to get back the unicorns horn (get a Silmaril) and Lilis dance before Darkness (as Luthien danced before Melkor and put all to sleep)

thanks!

[DigiFluid]

Australian actress Markella Kavenagh and English actor Will Poulter have been cast in this show.

https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/lord...kella-kavenagh
https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-...s-will-poulter

[magi877]

Australian actress Markella Kavenagh and English actor Will Poulter have been cast in this show.

https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/lord...kella-kavenagh
https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-...s-will-poulter

i call Poulter as Suaron..he'd be a good one for it

wonder if they have added a nickname or somehow shortened an actual character name for the woman?

'tyra' is a bit like Tar-Aldarion. last queen of numenor

[DigiFluid]

Nicknames, that's a good idea. I tend to think of these people as their formal names because that's the only way they're ever written, but you're right - day to day, these people probably have a working shorthand. Jon instead of Jonathan, Bill instead of William, that sort of thing.

(Assuming, of course, that the 'source' is accurate in the first place!)