Sauron as Annatar
 

The concept at the black gate where Sauron comes forth in the guise of annatar was dumped b/c they couldn't do the size.

But doesn't his ability to take physical form in the first place mean the free peoples had lost?

And wasn't his ability to take on an appealing form lost in the downfall of Numenore

I have never heard this before. Annatar? Hmm...

I thought they cancelled the idea of Sauron appearing at the Black Gate because they had already said [Fellowship] that he couldn't take physical form, and would thus be digging a hole for themselves.

I'm with Eomer on this one. I don't recall ever hearing about Annatar before... could you tell me where you found it? But you are correct in your statement that he cannot look appealing.

I know that the Commentary for the extended edition says that the fight scenes between Aragorn and the Troll in the battle at the Black Gate were originally meant to be between him and Sauron, appearing as he appeared in the prologue of "Fellowship." Part of this scene was originally conceived to have Sauron appear to Aragorn as Annatar, or as a beautiful woman full of light, or one of many other silly things. I'm glad they decided against it all and kept him out of it. I think it's more effective to never really see him.

A beautiful woman? Just like in He-Man? :D

I can't believe that. Such ridiculousness surely could not have been considered.

Here's what he would have looked like:

Annatar

I must say, that looks rather interesting. They should have put it in the Palantir encounter instead of all the fiddling about with Arwen's bling-bling...

That picture of Sauron does seem to be Annatarish. I imagine they
considered it as a conterpoise to Galadriel when tempted by the
Ring. it would have violated book canon, but that didn't stop PJ in
other ways, such as Gandalf beating up Denethor.

I prefer Tolkien's concept of Sauron, expressed in Letters, as someone of
large size, but not gigantic, to the "swiping twenty at one blow" Sauron
in the movie prologue, although the prologue, both movie and extended
dvd, was otherwise brilliantly done.