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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) - Season 1 (Amazon Prime) (1 Viewer)

joshEH

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Seriously...a new adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy. Jeff Bezos/Amazon are looking for this to be their Game of Thrones:

http://www.variety.com/2017/tv/news/lord-of-the-rings-amazon-1202606519/

LL


Goddammit, Amazon, The Silmarillion is right there. It even has dragons!

Ugh. It's not like there's a dearth of fantasy books already.

If they want Tolkien so bad, just do The Wheel of Time. That's, like, 20 seasons of TV right there if people dig it enough.
 

Josh Steinberg

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Since it also began its journey onscreen at the same time as the Lord Of The Rings films, I hope it's not considered trolling to ask how long before someone does a Harry Potter redo as a TV show?

It really feels too soon for this.
 

Josh Steinberg

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Maybe they'll remake the last seasons of Game Of Thrones after Martin writes the books. So then you'd have the book series spawning a TV adaptation, which inspired the ending to the books, which then inspired a new adaptation of said books based on TV show? The levels of meta here have the potential to go off the charts and then some.
 

TravisR

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Leaving aside the question of it being too soon (it is), how do match or top some of the most beloved movies of all time? I've warmed to them over the last few years but I'm not the fan of the LOTR movies that some people are and even I can't imagine a series being cast any better than the movies were. That alone will completely sink the reaction to a series.

There's been tons of iterations of Spider-Man or Batman or Superman through the years in comics, cartoons, TV shows and movies so people can handle a change better when it comes time for a reboot. However, if the general public thinks of LOTR, they're visualizing Peter Jackson's movies.
 

Josh Steinberg

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However, if the general public thinks of LOTR, they're visualizing Peter Jackson's movies.

And if they're watching a remake TV show, it's probably more because of a familiarity with the films rather than an experience of reading the books. That's the nature of visual mediums, that more people will generally see the film or watch the TV show than read the book. People will watch it not because it's a new idea, but because they already know they like it. Casting and production design decisions will probably be influenced by Jackson's films at least as much if not more than the books.

As maybe more of a philosophical question, is it a good thing when a culture starts devoting all of its resources to recreate the same few ideas over and over, instead of creating an environment where new ideas can flourish? I fear diminishing returns on all of these remakes and reboots, which could end up seeming even worse if content producers don't also have any new material to start using when the demand for remakes dries up. And, as far as box office grosses and TV ratings are starting to show, the audiences are maybe getting a little restless over these things.
 

Hanson

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Is this going to be an adaptation of the books or an ongoing series based on the characters and mythology?
 

Tommy R

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I have zero interest in just-another-adaptation, but what about an anthology series that deals with untold stories within Middle Earth, whether stuff used from the books or completely made-up stuff, perhaps stuff that can be considered canon to the movie trilogies. That would have me more excited that the final GoT season. Heck, I'd go crazy if they did an episode that covered the old forest chapter from fellowship and brought back Wood, Astin, Monaghan and Boyd for it.
 

TravisR

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I have zero interest in just-another-adaptation, but what about an anthology series that deals with untold stories within Middle Earth, whether stuff used from the books or completely made-up stuff, perhaps stuff that can be considered canon to the movie trilogies. That would have me more excited that the final GoT season. Heck, I'd go crazy if they did an episode that covered the old forest chapter from fellowship and brought back Wood, Astin, Monaghan and Boyd for it.
I'd much rather Amazon adapt something that hasn't been adapted relatively recently or do something altogether new but it would be one thing if they use Middle Earth as a place to tell new stories or adapt something that hasn't been done before. However, it seems to me that if they're calling it Lord Of The Rings, they have to tell the story of Frodo on a quest to get rid of the ring since that's what the average viewer will be expecting to see.
 
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TravisR

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As maybe more of a philosophical question, is it a good thing when a culture starts devoting all of its resources to recreate the same few ideas over and over, instead of creating an environment where new ideas can flourish? I fear diminishing returns on all of these remakes and reboots, which could end up seeming even worse if content producers don't also have any new material to start using when the demand for remakes dries up. And, as far as box office grosses and TV ratings are starting to show, the audiences are maybe getting a little restless over these things.
I welcome it because when they run out of things to remake or the audience stops caring, I hope it means that audiences and Hollywood will have to take a chance on something new. I will say that I have been saying that for about a decade and it hasn't happened yet so maybe the public doesn't care.

Just from a business POV, Hollywood should want to make something new today simply so they can have something to remake in 20 years.
 

Sam Favate

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I've been saying for years that if Warner couldn't get rights to make additional Middle Earth movies (adapting the Silmarillion or other films in that universe), they would reboot it. Otherwise, it's just a dormant property that could be earning them money but isn't.

But I really wish this was not happening.
 

Dheiner

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If they have Tom, I'll probably watch.

(And the scouring, but, that would be a few seasons in.....)
 

benbess

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Oh, for gosh sakes, can't they find something else....! What brain-dead thinking imho. As we all know, there are literally hundreds of fantasy novels, sci fi novels, and historical novels that are out there waiting to be adapted. Since LOTR was already done amazingly well as a set of movies, how could they possibly add to it by doing a tv show.....?
 

BobO'Link

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Maybe they'll remake the last seasons of Game Of Thrones after Martin writes the books. So then you'd have the book series spawning a TV adaptation, which inspired the ending to the books, which then inspired a new adaptation of said books based on TV show? The levels of meta here have the potential to go off the charts and then some.
Well... Martin told the showrunners what's supposed to happen in the unwritten books, including the ending, so at least the series is supposed to be correct (we'll see - I like the show but it's gone downhill since they ran out of actual good dialog/plotting from the novels).

LOTR on Amazon? Just no. It's not needed. If they actually follow the books, don't deviate, don't add unnecessary dramatics, don't overly embellish, maybe. But the movies were well done and it's really too soon.

Do The Hobbit right (OK... not yet on it either).

Do The Silmarillion (lots and lots of unmined stuff there).

Don't do LOTR.

Why not do a series on The Belgariad? It's fantasy, an excellent story, and it's finished.
 

Carabimero

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I wish they had the bravery to create a new epic fantasy series. I know I'm insane even saying it, given the greater risk. But I'm tired of all the recycling. That said, I'll watch. Does that make me a hypocrite?
 

joshEH

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I'd rather watch the Lindelof Watchmen series than this. What a monumentally-dumb idea.

If there was a reason to do it, it would be to reach for a completely different tone. Go for the poetic, lyrical relaxed-vibe, strip out all the Hollywood blockbuster influences of Jackson's trilogy. Go classy BBC with the cast. Treat it like something that general audiences don't need to be sold on, since everyone already knows what it is.

The hows and the whys of the practicalities are boggling my mind right now. State-of-the-art feature film CGI of the early 2000s basically looks the same as high-budget TV of today, plus or minus a few polygons. Subtract the time- and budget-constraints of TV from 15 years' worth of of tech-advances, and you end up right back where you started.

The more I think about this, the more my brain hurts. I can't go through the whole Gollum-thing again with another actor. I just can't. It'll be like The Amazing Spider-M...wait a sec. Jamie Foxx as Gollum?? Hans Zimmer rapping his internal monologue?? Now we're getting somewhere, baby! Bezos, bring me onboard as a consultant immediately!
 
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TravisR

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I'd rather watch the Lindelof Watchmen series than this.
I really like the movie of Watchmen but after Lost and The Leftovers, knowing Lindelof's respect for the material, more screen time to even more faithfully craft an adaptation and the amazing quality of the source, I'm really looking forward to that series. Though that does raise this same question:
Does that make me a hypocrite?
 

joshEH

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^ Yup, and to be sure, I definitely wasn't making a knock on Lindelof there -- it was just more overall frustration that the whole backbench of unadapted works out there is frustratingly deep, yet Hollywood seems to keep heading back to stuff that's already been filmed quite adequately for more bites at the same, well-known apple, over and over again.
 
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