RotK speculations (SPOILERS)

[Assenpfeffer]

I may be wrong (and I really hope I am), but I'm considering the possibility that some of the scenes people are discussing here may not actually show up. Some pretty significant cuts had to be made in both FOTR and TTT, and if ROTK spends enough time in Gondor and especially on the Denethor-Faramir subject, I think it's a possibility that the whole riding of the Grey Company, the Paths of the Dead, and the Corsairs of Umbar may be cut. Part of the reason I'm also considering this is because Eomer's lines of song just before he realizes Aragorn is leading the fleet are given to Theoden in TTT. PJ could very easily have Aragorn leading the Rohirrim to Gondor. I'm also wondering if the whole Eowyn + Merry vs. the Witch-King (as Eric says, "one of the coolest scenes EVAR") sceene will show up as expected. What if Aragorn kicks Nazgul ass instead? I love the character and Viggo's portrayal of him, but that is one scene I want absolutely the same as the book. On the other hand, what may happen is that Frodo and Sam's journey will get less screen time, since a lot of it may be tougher to cover on the screen and keep audience attention than other parts of the book.

We know for a fact that the Paths of the Dead got filmed. And, as I said on another thread, if Eowyn vs. the Witch King gets cut, I will personally boil Peter Jackson in industrial sulfuric.

I don't think that will happen, though. The guy has shown me enough to trust that he understands the key moments of the story, and that he won't screw them up.

 

[Piratecat]

It occurs to me that one reason we see and hear a lot of Gimli in TTT is that (from what I recall) he doesn't have much to do in book 3.

He does quake a lot during the paths of the dead.

I'm betting that they ditch the meeting with Ghan-buri-ghan (or whatever his name is) of the hill people, and let the Dead do most of the work when taking the ships of the corsairs.

 

[EricNoah]

I'd also be surprised if we didn't see those key scenes.

I've heard rumors that film 3 will have a longer running time than films 1 and 2. Maybe 30 more minutes or so. If so, that'll help.

Here are my "must see" scenes (these are just predictions, I don't have any inside knowledge, and am iffy on the order):

Voice of Saruman (combine with events in book's Scouring of the Shire, we'll see Saruman's demise at the hands of Wormtongue -- but who will off him?)

Gandalf rides off with Pippin to Minas Tirith

Shelob, Sam's possession of the ring and the rescue of Frodo

*someone* brings Aragorn Narsil (I doubt it will be Arwen, but who knows)

Merry joins Theoden

Paths of the Dead

Gandalf and Pippin arrive in Minas Tirith; establish Gandalf's relationship with Denethor; Pippin pledges himself to Denethor

Denethor confronts Faramir; key scene establishes that Sauron now thinks the ring is in Minas Tirith

Despair and Death of Denethor

Witch King / Pelenor Fields / Rohan to the rescue / Eowyn and Merry's moment of glory

Frodo and Sam's struggle to cross Mordor; we need at least one more "confrontation" with Gollum, I think -- we need to see him utterly failing to master his lust for the ring

The big battle at the Black Gates / Mouth of Sauron encounter

Frodo and Sam at the Cracks of Doom / the big finish

Aragorn crowned, wed / Faramir and Eowyn wed

Some kind of return to the Shire (though we know that the Scouring of the Shire is not in the film) -- we have to see Sam get the girl

Gray Havens

-----------

I question whether we'll see much of the palantir(s) in film 3. I question whether Faramir will spend much of film 3 unconscious/mortally wounded. I wonder who exactly will be present at the final big battle. I personally think Aragorn won't see Arwen in the flesh until after the ring is destroyed.

 

[KenM]

I'm hoping they end with Bilbo and Frodo going to the grey havens, Same returns to the shire, I hope they have some decent stuff in shire when they get back, he walks up to Rosy says "Well, i'm back" and kisses Her. I know its different from book but i think thats how they will do it.

 

[BrianL]

Coolest ROTK scene I'm looking forward to?

Sam and Frodo are in Mt Doom, at the same location we saw Agent Elrond and Isuldur in the prelude. Frodo is right on the edge, and Sam's shouting for him to throw the ring in.

The camera zooms in really fast into Frodo's face just as Frodo turns around and looks up. His face changes and grows cold as he says

"No. I wont. It's mine. It's my... precious" and he slips the ring on, just as we hear Gollum scream...

Coolest bit of the books ever. Frodo gets all that way just to fail at the 11th hour. Stupid halfling

 

[KenM]

I want to know how they filmed the fight with Gollum, a computer effect, with an invisible Frodo inside Mt. doom.

 

[Bob Aberton]

I agree with those saying that the coolest scene will be in Mt. Doom, where Frodo claims the Ring for his own.

I can imagine it being just like Elrond and Isildur;

Elrond: Thrown it into the fire, Isildur! Destroy it!

Isildur(looks up, fondles the Ring with a scornful sneer on his face): No. (Turns and walks away)

Sam: Throw it in, Mr. Frodo! Destroy it!

Frodo(looks up, fondles the Ring with a scornful sneer on his face): No. (Puts the Ring on).

You know, show a parallel between those two scenes...

 

[BrianL]

I agree with those saying that the coolest scene will be in Mt. Doom, where Frodo claims the Ring for his own.

I can imagine it being just like Elrond and Isildur;

Elrond: Thrown it into the fire, Isildur! Destroy it!

Isildur(looks up, fondles the Ring with a scornful sneer on his face): No. (Turns and walks away)

Sam: Throw it in, Mr. Frodo! Destroy it!

Frodo(looks up, fondles the Ring with a scornful sneer on his face): No. (Puts the Ring on).

You know, show a parallel between those two scenes...

Almost certainly. Very much like the cool one IN TTT, where at the very start Frodo jumps on top of Gollum, holding Sting at his neck, and then by the end he jumps on top of Sam in almost exactly the same pose, thus showing how badly the Ring has corrupted him by that point.

Very cool.

 

[demiurge1138]

Like just about everybody else posting, I think the destruction of the Ring will be great. But how will PJ pull it off?
To me, Gollum falling into the fires of Mt. Doom with the Ring provides excellent closure and is a good way to get rid of it once and for all, but it always seemed weird to me that he bites off Frodo's finger, grabs the Ring... and then falls. Why? Does the prepice crumble? Does Sam or Frodo push him? Does he get carried away while doing a victory dance?

Demiurge out.

 

[Black Omega]

Poor Gollem has just gotten back his Precious from that mean old Frodo. but his eyes are fixed on the ring and it takes just one mistep to send him hurling down into the flames.