Spoilers Rings of Power is back!

[Baron Opal II]

I believe the showrunners can use any material from either The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings - including the appendices. There seem to be one or two exceptions. - for example, they cannot explicitly use the term “Hobbit.“

The available material includes repurposed dialogue. There’s a fair bit.

If I understand correctly, RoP can also license individual elements from other Tolkien works as needed, if agreed with the Tolkien Estate. As well as from the Jackson movies (the balrog seems to have been licensed from Warner Brothers)

Right. I knew about the appendices, although not that The Hobbit was on the table. I have to say I'm thrilled by the balrog; the first time I saw it on the screen it was so close to what I imagined I nearly squealed like a little child in the theater.

I did not know that individual elements are potentially available. I figured that was off the table when Arondir said something like "there's a valar that oversees the forests, and she..." instead of "legend states the valar Yavanna cares for..." But, good to know.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Right. I knew about the appendices, although not that The Hobbit was on the table. I have to say I'm thrilled by the balrog; the first time I saw it on the screen it was so close to what I imagined I nearly squealed like a little child in the theater.

I did not know that individual elements are potentially available. I figured that was off the table when Arondir said something like "there's a valar that oversees the forests, and she..." instead of "legend states the valar Yavanna cares for..." But, good to know.

I think they have to pay for them a la carte, so it becomes a budget question.