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#1 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 903
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from Galendor
Quote:
Is the name MIDDLE-EARTH somehow a possible franchise name with recognition and appeal? |
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#2 | |
Loremaster of Annúminas
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,330
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Quote:
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. |
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#3 | |||
Loremaster of Annúminas
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,330
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Quote:
Remember also that even assuming Adam replaces his father on the board, he's only one director out of three; and Baillie and Michael George are two decades younger than Christopher and so likely to be around for a while yet. One might also want to parse some othe Adam T statements. Interviewed at the CoH launch: Quote:
And from the Estae website (which is in fact Adam): Quote:
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. |
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#4 |
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mirkwood, NC
Posts: 66
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Yes, that is what I was suggesting. But you are right, it might not be possible to do so for the reasons you gave.
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Time is the mind, the hand that makes (fingers on harpstrings, hero-swords, the acts, the eyes of queens). |
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#5 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 903
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Galendor - keep in mind I am agreeing in principle with your idea. I think it has real possibilities if they only need to work the Lord of the Rings idea (Sauron and the Ring) into all the other films. With HOBBIT its easy since that central anyways - well not Sauron so much but the Ring sure is. Clever writers will find a way if that is what they want to do.
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#6 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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As I said, those statements from Adam that I gave prove nothing at all - except that Adam is not completely opposed to the existence of movies. Personally speaking I have no desire to see any more Tolkien movies like the LotR farrago (yes, StW, that's my opinion).
Even assuming that Bailie & Michael George follow CT's wishes that doesn't translate to never - in fact, while my life will remain perfectly complete & fulfilled without ever seeing another Tolkien movie, I can't see that objecting to any movie adaptation on principle is admirable - anymore than the medieval Church's objection to the printing of Bibles. Yes, the books are great art, but cinema may produce great art too. That's why I say that a lot will depend on what we see on screen in 2010. Its not impossible that CT could have liked a movie adaptation of LotR - unfortunately the one he saw was Jacksons. What if he'd actually liked it (ie if it had been of sufficient quality)? I'm assuming that he went with an open mind. Also he was quite happy to contribute to the BBC radio adaptation of LotR, to the extent of being sent the script for approval & recording a cassette of pronunciations. This alone says to me that he is not totally opposed to dramatisation of his father's works. All I'm arguing is 'never say never' - given the right circumstances, & I wouldn't be shocked if the film rights to Tolkien's other writings were sold in the not too distant future - though at the same time I'm not expecting an announcement next week... |
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#7 | |
Loremaster of Annúminas
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,330
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Quote:
__________________
The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. |
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#8 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 903
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Somebody here - perhaps davem or WCH - told a story a while back about JRRT himself attending a school play of THE HOBBIT. If I remember right, Tolkien beamed broad smiles when they they kept exactly to a scene or some bit of dialogue but became displeased and agitated whenever they deviated in any way. I guess that speaks volumes as why Hollywood is loathe to give authors anything approaching control when their work is translated from print to film.
Maybe that is why he enjoyed the radio production so much. Things do not have to be so heavily cut given that you have much more time and can serialize things over weeks or months. On the radio you can have a narrator which is much closer to a book. And this is just a guess on my part - but I bet its much cheaper to use the book as a script where possible given that you save money from writers having to rewrite anything. I have a feeling that given this choice Film A - very loyal in both script and spirit to Tolkien almost to the point of slavishness. At the box office it barely makes it money back and people find it too long with too many talking heads and dull parts. Film B - Jackson action treatment with Jackson big box office results. I tend to think that both JRRT and CT would vote loudly and often for the A choice. |
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#9 | ||
Loremaster of Annúminas
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,330
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Quote:
It is entirely possible to make a successful, dramatic, exciting adaptation of the LR (w/o 'too many talking heads and dull parts') without resorting to PJ's distortions and crudities- and above all, PJ's total cluelessness. Personally I would love to see such a film. It's the film I was waiting to see back in 2000-01. Boy, was I disappointed. Quote:
Incidentally, Jo Rowling's creative control doesn't seem to have hurt the HP films' boxoffice.
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. |
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#10 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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The radio series took 13 hours - about the same time as the SEE of LotR, so they had the same time. The real problem with the movies was that the writers were convinced they could improve on Tolkien's work.
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#11 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 903
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Quote:
My idea - of both parties sitting down- with the Estate getting an adviser on set and the rights holders getting the right to take what is in the Appendicies and expand it in line with what is in other JRRT sources for accuracy - is not perfect. But what is? Rowling is a living author who was red hot and at the top of her game when she sold those rights. You can hardly compare her position with that of JRRT in the late 1960's. Yes, his books had something of a following - but he was hardly in the position of Rowling. ANd besides, JRRT himself decided in favor of money over Art. That was his choice free and clear. My idea would give the Estate a seat at the table, a voice when the writing and filming was done. It would not give them control but it would allow them to give advice, make a case, work with the writers and others to come up with alternatives to things like Osgiliath, beating of Gollum, and other things that drive purists crazy. Perhaps I believe too much in people. I tend to believe that when peope of fair mind and good intention work together, better things happen than when they do not. In this world very few people end up like Rowling with the ability to dictate the menu, help cook the food, dictate how it is served, and then get the head seat at the banquet table. That is rare and does not come along too often even for the best of us. In the LOTR films the Estate had exactly zero input. Their thought, feelings, suggestions, objections, were never known or made known because all the movies were made without them being there in any way shape or form. Again, I do think it comes back to that skit on Da Ali G Show where Sasha Baron Cohen as Ali G proposes a deal to a prospective book publisher "Hey, you know about those LOTR movies? Get this..... LOTR... the books!!! The movies made lots of money, the books can too". Or something like that. In the minds of the worldwide public, the LOTR is both the books and the movies, or even just the movies since more people bought tickets to those than have bought the books over the last fifty years. For better or worse, they are linked together in a symbiotic relationship. They may not be one, but they sure are twisted together in many people minds. This situation is going to go on for at least five more years with the next two films and perhaps longer. In fact, that intermeshing is only going to get stronger because now you will have five films over ten years instead of three over five years. Giving an expert selected by the Estate a seat at the production meetings in all phases of production would be a very good thing in taking a step towards a more authentic Middle-earth. |
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