Warner Bros wants to make Lord of the Rings films. Not remakes, fyi.

[Benjamin Olson]

Ugh. I’m well on my way to hating franchise entertainment.

I mean, certainly one should hate the franchise aspect of franchise entertainment. It is what guarantees that even when something is actually, legitimately good it will eventually get additional installments that aren't good. Every franchise must eventually get at least one movie/series/game/whatever more than it should have, because franchise good will is too profitable a commodity not to cash in on. Letting anything go out on a high note and just be left alone is just leaving the money on the table that would be earned off of a using the franchise good will to hawk a shoddy additional entry.

This has always been the case. The innovation of the last decade or so is digging up old franchises which escaped the process of being completely run into the ground by one means or another, and in some cases have gained additional good will or prestige from being left in that respectable state, and running them into the ground as well.

 

[Stalker0]

a movie in which Tom bombadil wins for 3 hours straight

 

[ValamirCleaver]

[snip]

What's the specific source of the screenshot quote, please?

While I know that the chances of this happening is virtually nil, but in light of the fact that Christopher Tolkien is no longer a roadblock, they could renegotiate with the Tolkien Estate for the rights to The Silmarillion which would give access to many epic tales. Three specific ones of the First Age I could easily imagine being big budget action movies would be The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin while using Quenta Silmarillion/War of the Jewels as a bridge to tie together these separate tales. If they wished to continue to the Second Age they could then do Akallabêth/Downfall of Númenor.

 

[darjr]

What's the specific source of the screenshot quote, please?

While I know that the chances of this happening is virtually nil, but in light of the fact that Christopher Tolkien is no longer a roadblock, they could renegotiate with the Tolkien Estate for the rights to The Silmarillion which would give access to many epic tales. Three specific ones of the First Age I could easily imagine being big budget action movies would be The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin while using Quenta Silmarillion/War of the Jewels as a bridge to tie together these separate tales. If they wished to continue to the Second Age they could then do Akallabêth/Downfall of Númenor.

Apologies. I've updated the op.

New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movies in the Works at Warners, New Line

The studios have struck a multiyear pact with Swedish gaming giant Embracer Group, which holds the film rights to the property.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Lidgar]

Oh there's plenty to milk:

1. Old Man Willow and Tom Bombadil Bury the Hatchet

2. Gollum Finds a Trinket (and Chokes his Friend)

3. Legolas and his Magic Surfing Shield

4. Gandalf was a 5th Level Magic User

5. Why Ringwraiths Scream IV

I'm here all week...

 

[Umbran]

Three specific ones of the First Age I could easily imagine being big budget action movies would be The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin while using Quenta Silmarillion/War of the Jewels as a bridge to tie together these separate tales. If they wished to continue to the Second Age they could then do Akallabêth/Downfall of Númenor.

Yep. There is content that could be used.

But I don't know that they have the editorial chops to make them well.

 

[Zaukrie]

There is so much space and time not explored..... Unfortunately, there are people that will poop all over anything that isn't nearly word for word what's written. I don't get why new stories are wrong, bad, evil, but they are for many.

 

[John R Davis]

As someone who has regularly played ME RPGs since the mid 80s I'd both be very excited to see new movies but stumped on what they would be about.
It would need absolute clean break from the previous trilogy.
They would struggle with the modernization they would need .

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I think part of the problem with creating more Middle Earth content is that despite Middle Earth was so thoroughly constructed around telling the stories of Morgoth and the Silmarils and of Sauron and the Ring. Where this paid dividends was in being able to have Sauron be a compelling villain without actually directly appearing in the books or exactly appearing on screen in the movies, because his archvillain status is just embedded in every aspect of the world. But the cost is that you can't just do a sequel, because he's defeated, you can't do a prequel, because he can't be defeated, and any story not an existential battle with Sauron feels small in comparison.

I think there's more fertile ground for satisfying storytelling in the Silmarillion era, but the reputation of the Silmarillion as only digestible by Tolkien die-hards probably nixes that, if licensing issues don't.

Sequel and prequels. Lord of the Rings Expanded Universe. Follow the exploits of King Aragorn in the Fourth Age. Witness the rise of yet another threat to the people of Middle Earth. Thrill as the wastrel grandson of Aragorn is forced to confront his legacy as he is tempted down the path of the Dark Side by Darth Krayt.

You know, the usual stuff.

That's not all that far off from Tolkien's own attempt at a sequel The New Shadow. He decided to shelve it after getting 13 pages in. But I'm sure it can be turned into a thoroughly mediocre trilogy.

 

[Wolfram stout]

I would not mind seeing something of the Northern Wars. It could have a mixed bag of heroes of Men, Elf, and dwarf easy, and they could shoe horn in either a hobbit or a Beorning. Enemies could include Orcs/goblins, Easterlings, and lead by any number of nameless baddies.

I could see an opening with Galadriel's vooice saying something like: You know the story of the Ring, but there were other battles, other (pause) heroes that you do not know.

This is probably not a good or marketable idea, but then again, I am not a pro. I bet a real writer with a passion for Tolkien could come up with some amazing stuff.