For those of you who haven't seen it, check out the Letter that HI posted in the thread, "Parallels between LOTR and WWII" in the Books section. The extensive notes and criticism that it can be implied the prof received from Unwin & Rayner (particularly Rayner, judging from the letter) makes me think of the position PJ must be in. Here were Rayner & Unwin asking for changes on something that they had little or no money invested in.
I'm sure PJ has had to make compromises along the way to appease those holding the checkbook. Moviemaking isn't like writing a book, where you can be an Oxford professor, dink around with your book on the side for years on end, and then just present it as a finished product, take it or leave it. You need the money before you start, and you need them to keep doling it out while you're going along. Perhaps PJ figured a few compromises were worth it to be able to get the chance of a lifetime. Also, you never know what's going to end up on the cutting room floor. For all we know, scenes of Liv swinging a sword may not make it into the movie. Sometimes a director will shoot scenes just to appease whatever 800lb. Hollywood gorilla is pressuring him to, then slyly edit them out of the film later. Unlikely, I guess, but we still have time to hope.
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