I couldn't find a thread yet so I'm creating one as I'm really excited about this.
There are reportedly going to be 5 seasons. Almost 250M paid for the franchise so the season budgets should be immense (some are estimating 150M per season!). Peter Jackson may be involved as executive producer. Amazon said that the project will “explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring,” in addition to a potential spinoff series.
I grew up reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (even the Silmarillion) . There is truly no limit to the stories and spin offs that are possible. My hope is that they just make a good show that I doesn't try to replace or push out GoT and Star Wars.
I saw the announcement of this series, but I'm more wary than optimistic.
Mainly because I don't think this show gets made if Game of Thrones hadn't become a hit. I think this sets a precedent for the sorts of stories that will be told, and crucially the way that they will be told.
I can't see 5 seasons of Hobbits' journeys drawing a huge audience. Nor can I see 'selected-stories-mentioned-in-Tolkien's-books' being coherent enough to hold people's attention either. Don't most of them just end up in big battles?
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Lord of the Rings won't just be Hobbits' journeys. Based on what I've seen here it could be any and all beings in the LOTR universe. I suspect a big story around the wizards, and rangers, dwarfs, and elves. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.
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They need to do the flip side of the story. Where we get to see Sauron's perspective of events.
Although... hobbit sex! "You know nothing Samwise."
Being fangoriously devoured by a gelatinous monster.
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And somewhere between the two do I exist.
I think there's a ton of space to do a great tv show on LOTR material, but it's super easy to be afraid that it ends up like The Hobbit with too much bloat mixed in with really good parts.
That said, Amazon is laying out the money, so at least production values will be good.
How did I live before digital distribution of old, cheap games?
MilkmanDanimal wrote:You did live before digital distribution of old, cheap games. Now you just play games.
It has more to do with feet than one might expect...
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"My love is for Lou." -- LiquidMantis
"LouZiffer is a gentleman, a rogue, and a fantastic lover." -- Vector
"You could yoink it for a Sig." -- Demosthenes
When is this expected? More than 2 years out?
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Yeah, I'd imagine it's gonna take a while to get sets together and whatnot. Supposedly they're aiming for the end of 2019, but they're in pre-pre-production. They're throwing money at the problem and that always works. I'm sure it'll come in under budget and on time.
How did I live before digital distribution of old, cheap games?
MilkmanDanimal wrote:You did live before digital distribution of old, cheap games. Now you just play games.
There is a lot that went on between the Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring (60 years). There's enough material there to easily encompass 5 seasons worth of shows. There's also a lot that happens to the Fellowship after the One Ring is destroyed.
Here are some examples of the content that they could show.
Corruption of Saruman - this really began before the Hobbit
Scouring of the Shire
Aragorn's upbringing by Elrond, love of Arwen, and travels and as a Ranger of Arnor
Return of Sauron and rebuilding of Barad-Dur and Dol Guldur in Mirkwood
The rebuilding of the Dwarf Kingdom and the trip to take back Moria by Balin and Ori
Gandalf finding the scoll of Isuldur
Travels of Gollum when he leaves Lonely Mountaints and searches for the One Ring. Gollum is captured by Sauron and then by Aragorn and trip to Mirkwood where he is held prisoner and questioned by Gandalf.
Corruption of Theoden by Saruman
Gandalfs travels, imprisonment, etc
Ringwraiths search for the ring
Invasion of Gondor and Rohan
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV show is set in the Second Age — here’s why that matters
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FINALLY!!! So much good stuff in the Second Age that gets ignored by the movies and games.
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Oh thank gawd!
How did I live before digital distribution of old, cheap games?
MilkmanDanimal wrote:You did live before digital distribution of old, cheap games. Now you just play games.
I had thought they were going to try to shoehorn this into the time period close to the main books/movies. This news significantly increases my optimism.
I'm kinda excited!
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Yeah, that they are distancing themselves from the movies is great news even without all the lore they can bring into it.
I didn’t realize that the series was still a couple years away. I’m disappointed to learn this.
They’ll make constant, winking allusions to the main series.
“Thank you for the necklace, Zinfandel, this will truly be... my precious.” Audience laughs.
“Hey, mom, I’m just going to step down the road and play with Tilbo Baggins.”
“I wish you’d find new friends, Stevewise, those Bagginses will never amount to anything.” Hooting from audience.
“Slow down, Bandolf, you cannot pass! My horse has right of way!” Audience shrieks uncontrollably.
”History is a long series of surprises that seem inevitable in retrospect.“
That's good stuff! What about Lady Alexa, the friendly shopkeep that's quick with a joke and knows all the scuttlebutt around town.
Now I’ve got my hopes up and will be severely disappointed if this isn’t filmed as a multi-camera 90’s sitcom with a live audience.
”History is a long series of surprises that seem inevitable in retrospect.“