TV series set in Middle Earth may be coming

[Otaku-sempai]

More information on the specifics here: http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2017/11 ... e-insight/

Déjà vu.

[Gilrohir Arncelevon]

This may already have been circulated on one thread or another, in which case my apologies for having missed it.

Below is the link to the official Amazon press release:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zht ... ID=2316587

The release states quite clearly that they are working with the Tolkien Estate, Harper Collins (the publisher) and New Line Cinema. It also states that they will be telling a story set BEFORE the Fellowship of the Rings (ie the very period covered by C7 in its TOR and AiME games). The relevant quote is:

"Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes a potential additional spin-off series."

It should be noted that they only have the rights to the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, so I guess that means the "storylines preceding the Fellowship of the Ring" would have to be events alluded to or described in those books and, I guess, the appendices.

Anyway, as I mentioned, if this is old news, apologies. If not, then I see it as a good thing, because anything which boosts interest in the works of Tolkien, for whatever reason, is good in my opinion and likely to be positive for C7's business (and therefore those of us who love their games)!!

[Otaku-sempai]

As spotted by another poster (TheHutt) at TORn:

Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Event Series at Amazon, has tweeted two hints:

Ask your echo “Which character is not affected by the power of the one ring?” #LordOfTheRings
https://twitter.com/...s/930246506426261505

Ask your Echo “who is Aragorn?” #LordOfTheRings
https://twitter.com/...s/930246506426261505

The first is obviously Tom Bombadil, the second is, well, Aragorn.
Can we assume that these are possible storylines for the series?

My best guess is that this show will focus on the early years of Aragorn and it might open with something like the nineteen year-old Ranger and the sons of Elrond facing off against Wights in the Barrow-downs and getting an assist from Old Tom.

[daledavis67]

I think it would be awesome for Cubicle 7 to offer up some of it's creativity and source material from it's games to Amazon to help add some continuity to the stories.

That is not at all how the licensing for all this works.

Thanks Stormcrow but I was not really referring to licensing. I was referring to a creative collaboration between Amazon and C7 since they already have a wealth of material Amazon may be able to draw upon for inspiration.

However this works out i think both companies will benefit from these new developments. That is only good for the fans,

[Stormcrow]

I think it would be awesome for Cubicle 7 to offer up some of it's creativity and source material from it's games to Amazon to help add some continuity to the stories.

That is not at all how the licensing for all this works.

Thanks Stormcrow but I was not really referring to licensing. I was referring to a creative collaboration between Amazon and C7 since they already have a wealth of material Amazon may be able to draw upon for inspiration.

Which requires the collaborators to be licensed.

However this works out i think both companies will benefit from these new developments. That is only good for the fans,

How? What good will I, as a fan, get out of it? Let's suppose I don't like the TV show. Do I benefit from merchandise I don't want? Do I benefit from new fans who only know the TV show and movies I don't like?

Make no mistake: the benefit here is not to fans of the books, it is to the producers and people who want something OTHER than the books. I get nothing out of this except having to tell yet more people people that Balrogs don't look like lava-dinosaurs and the correct quote is a non-shouted "You cannot pass" and dwarves do not have Scottish accents.

[Otaku-sempai]

How? What good will I, as a fan, get out of it? Let's suppose I don't like the TV show. Do I benefit from merchandise I don't want? Do I benefit from new fans who only know the TV show and movies I don't like?

You might not benefit directly, but a series could lead more people to TOR and to AiMe, arguably a good thing.

[torus]

On balance, anything that dilutes the legacy of those awful Peter Jackson movies is probably a good thing. It bothers me intensely that so many people now seem to regard LotR as a movie series rather than a literary work. I don't expect this TV series to be faithful to the source material, but it might at least be imaginitive and well made. Why Jackson gets plaudits for such uninspired hack work is beyond me.

[Otaku-sempai]

I dunno, torus; I doubt that anyone else could have done a much better job adapting The Lord of the Rings into a film-trilogy. It is not like any studio was going to back an adaptation that would have adapted each of the six separate books of the novel into six individual films. Though, even with Jackson's time compression, I wish he had at least gotten the year of Bilbo's farewell party correct.

Now, Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit included some very controversial decisions, some of which I agree with, some with which I don't, and some that I think were downright bone-headed.

In the spirit of the day (Thanksgiving, here in the U.S.) I'm thankful that the films were as good as they were. Even the Hobbit movies could have been so much worse!

[Indur Dawndeath]

I just hope that this series will be as well produced as the Peter Jackson movies. I just love the Lord of the Rings movies, not so much the Hobbitt... But still great to see Tolkiens world come alive.

[Stormcrow]

On balance, anything that dilutes the legacy of those awful Peter Jackson movies is probably a good thing.

I would expect the TV show to try to replicate the style of the Jackson films.