NOOO!!!

They're leaving the Scouring of the Shire out of the third film! *crawls into a corner and cries*

[Starbreeze]

How do you know?! How do you Know?! Why, what for?!!<P>It may just be rumor, right?!

I don't know how he'll do it, but I think Peter Jackson will find a way to give us the great effects of the Scouring, without actually giving us the scouring. Think of how much was left out of FOTR. Yet, through the whole movie, I never felt that it was truly MISSING anything. I have faith that we'll see how much strength the hobbits have gained, and all of the other important character developments that the Scouring brings, though the scene itself will not be there.<P>Frankly, I care more about the Grey Havens, that had better be perfect! It's the most beautiful thing I have ever read.

[Balefalathiel]

NOOOO!!! That can't be true!!!!!!! They're destroying the book!!!!

[Rosa Underhill]

*pulls out big ol' bucket of water* Don't make me use this... <P>Okay, let's get this cleared up. Peter and co. are, currently, messing with our heads. I've heard equal evidence from reliable sources that says a) there will be the scouring and b) there won't be. In short, we won't know if it's in RotK until we see it. It might just be in a flashback-ish scene, though, but I'm pretty sure it'll be there. (Flashback-ish? Hm. Try saying that three times fast! )

[Lush]

The included the Scouring in the Mirror of Galadriel...Then, on the other hand, that could have been a device used to simply terrorize the audience with a vision of what destruction Sauruman (or Sauron) may bring. I think that either way, with or without the Scouring, the movie may succeed (in my eyes). Purism is definitely not something I adhere to, as long as the spirit of the story remains. And please don't ask me what the "spirit" means; it's like obscenity, I know it when I see it.

[Birdland]

(Scene _ )<P>Hobbits on ponies arrive in the same corn field (without car) where Sam gave his famous "this is as far from home..." line. Merry, Pippin and Sam ride forward. Frodo stops his pony.<P>Sam: (looking back) Come on, Mr. Frodo. We're almost home."<P>Frodo: "Sam..." (continued on next page)<P>

[Raefindel]

Unless they resurrect Saruman, there won't be a Scouring. I have seen the pictures of the impailing of Saruman, complete with a chroma-key background.

I think it's stupid and cheesy to have Saruman die from impalement. Anyway, I read that they're leaving out the Scouring because it's not good for a movie to have something really big (Mount Doom) followed by anticlimax (Steward and the King, etc.) and then a big thing right at the end.

[Joy]

Okay, I wish I could remember where I read this but anyway, I think it was theonering.net. On the section about TTT it shows the impalment of Saurman, yet later it gives a clip from a Lee interview where he says that he is in all 3 movies. I think PJ is just messing with our heads.

[Aralaithiel]

Oooooooohhhhh! We Elves don't like our minds messed with, unless it is hobbit weed! I am just going to see the movies, and to h$#@ with the rumors.<BR>I agree with Lush that as long as the "spirit" of the story remains the same, it will be OK. Remember, PJ has to appeal to the general public, not us learned ones!

[Rosa Underhill]

*hands Aralaithiel a pipe* I've given up my bickering ways. Lembas or no, it's better to share. So, which do you prefer? Old Toby? Longbottom Leaf?<P>Yes, PJ is severly messing with our heads. It must be a bit hard for him, though, keeping it secret so long.

[Frodo Baggins]

AAAA!! They're ruining it!!! <P>Crawls into corner and cries on shoulder of Loremaster.

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Well, I must agree with the point that in movies audiences won't take to well to a big climax followed by a second smaller climax. But also...<BR>I wouldn't blame Peter Jackson for tricking the public, or should I say, people like us. If you were a director would you want people to know so much about your film before it is released??? I think it will be fun to wait and see that he really does.

[Lomelinde]

Ok, I remember reading an interview with the executive producer Fran Walsh and this very topic came up. First of all, she said the Scouring was left out of the ROTK because it would have been a little anti-climactic to throw yet another sub-plot at the audience at the end of the movie. It also would have been distracting and added on an extra half-hour or so to an already long movie. Second of all, she mentioned the scene in Galadriel's Mirror as being the only glimpses of the Scouring they were going to show. And third of all, if the rumors of Saruman's untimely (and cheesy) demise are true, then that makes it kind of hard for him to take over the Shire later, therefore, no Scouring needed. Anyway, that's what I read somewhere, don't know if it's straight fact but I'm thinking there's a really weak chance of the Scouring being included.

[Nufaciel]

Peter Jackson said that there will be no Scouring of the Shire. Period. The scene that Frodo sees in the Mirror, with the Shire destroyed, was Peter's hats off to the event. It will not be in the RotK. I forget where the article is, but if I find it, I'll post it.

[ElanorGamgee]

I really wish that Peter and Co. were messing with our minds, but I doubt it. I would love to see the scourging of the Shire and I don't really want to see Sharkey on a stick (sorry, I couldn't resist ). Oh, well, I guess we won't know until we see the movies... <p>[ May 06, 2002: Message edited by: ElanorGamgee ]

[Frodo Baggins]

*sniff* Nooooo!!! They're ruining the whole story. PJ goes around saying how huga a fan of Tolkien he is. So am I!!! but I would be more faithful to the original story!! <P> Sharkey on a stick??? hahahahahahahaha Elanor you are soooo funny!!!<P>But why can't they leave it the way it is???<BR> (crawls back into corner to cry some more)

[Nufaciel]

Probably because it would take another movie or two to put every single thing in. While it would have been nice to see, leaving the scouring out is not detrimental to the story. Even Tolkien threw some stuff out of his books he would have like to keep in there for the sake of space. The three movies, which were the maximum PJ would have been allowed to do (New Line originally only wanted two, but PJ talked them into three), are already going to be three hours apiece, and he had to delete some of the scenes he did do: the gift giving, much of the footage when they enter Lothlorien, much of the relationship of Legolas and Gimli, some of the hobbits trek through the Wild with Strider, etc... You must understand that this would take at least another 45 minutes to an hour to do the whole thing, to set it up, etc. What would you take out of the story that hasn't been taken out in order to put the scouring back in. Some of what was in FOTR would have had to come out. What would you leave out? The Watcher in the Water? The Birthday party? How about in TTT? Would you leave out much of the Helm's Deep battle? I think PJ's done a wonderful job,and his attention to details shows how much of a fan he is. Most others would have left out the languages, gotten the names wrong, had cheesy looking sets (the man spent a year growing the Shire itself, just so it would look real).

[Sharia]

I think the scouring will be left out (or they might have just done another mistake ) Do you remember when Frodo looks into Galadriels mirror and sees the Shire, well the hobbit closest to us (in the reflection) is Sam. So they must have left the scouring out. That's how I see it <p>[ May 07, 2002: Message edited by: Sharia ]

Ok, lots of rumours here, but what do we actually know? Is there really going to be no scouring, and what is really going on with Saruman and PJ?

[Nufaciel]

There will be no scouring of the Shire. This has been asked many times, and each time PJ says no. There is no box of earth given to Sam as a gift from Galadriel. (He gets Elvish rope.) So this alone should answer the question. I've seen the list of gifts that are given, and I've seen pictures, and there is no earth. This would be essential for the scouring of the shire. PJ said in an interview that there was no scouring, and that the image inside the mirror was the only nod he made towards it. He did that for the fans who know of the scouring.

[Nufaciel]

Here are two sections of articles I have saved on my computer. I couldn't find them on the sites (it's been a while, and I don't have the time right now to look through all the archives), but here they are:<P>Looking ahead to Two Towers and Return of the King<BR>Film Force <P>"...Fran Walsh went on to mention that she was responsible not only for writing, but also for directing the backstory of Sméagol and his transformation into the pitiful Gollum. Moviegoers can expect to see that part of Gollum's life exanded upon in The Two Towers.<P>Jackson also mentioned a major part of the Lord of the Rings novel that will be cut from the films: the Scouring of the Shire at the end of The Return of the King. Jackson's only explanation for this is that it didn't really "work," so the films' only homage to it will remain the vision Frodo received from Galadriel's mirror."<P>SPOILERS: More info on TTT and ROTK<BR>posted by maegwan at the TORN Forum board <BR>"...The scouring of the shire is out. PJ said it simply was not practical to retain it, as the story arc is rooted in Frodo's quest to destroy the ring. He said that while understanding the reasons -- personal and literal -- that the passage was important to Tolkien, that it adds an unnecessary coda to the story that he had always, even as a reader, found "awkward." He said that the scenes in Galadriel's mirror were his way of paying "homage" to the material, as showing the possible results if the quest should fail. He gave no indication of how he was going to get around this in the final movie, but we should probably start speculating now, as it seems certain. "<P>I've seen similar postings by other people, and this is mentioned in several news articles.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Yes, several weeks ago, I read these same articles on the one ring website about the scouring. Now, what is puzzling me, is how they are going to handle the end of the movie. Do the hobbits actually physically return to the Shire? If so, is the Shire calm and peaceful (since there's no scouring)? Or does the party just split up after Cormallen? How will they handle Grey Havens without the Shire? Will they just head straight to Grey Havens from Rivendell (surely they have to hitch up with Bilbo somewhere)? Will there be any references to Sam's marriage to Rosie? My biggest question is how they will handle the Elven procession and Grey Havens, since I feel this is the heart and soul of the book. Also, Frodo's illness and grief. Has anyone heard anything about these? Or do you have any ideas? sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[Nufaciel]

My guess would be that they do return to the Shire, because I've seen the pictures from RotK of Sam and his daughter Elanor. How exactly they're going to pull it off, I do not know. I know some of the things that are going to be in TTT, but they've kept RotK pretty locked up, and aren't saying much of anything about it.