Saw a great, but way too long(fittingly), 3 part video series about the Hobbit and it's issues. Also goes into a good bit of detail about why LOTR was so good in comparison. But the TLDR: There were 4 studio's involved, they sucked sick. Del Toro left right before filming was starting, Jackson took over and rewrote and redid the whole plan and look of the movie, then the studio's forced him to turn it into 3 movies because....money.

Edit: LINK

So I think if given plenty of time, and a low amount of executive involvement, Peter Jackson could make this a home run. Though I doubt they would ever make him any kind of principal decision maker.

This post was edited on 7/2/19 at 11:01 am

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Posted by PillageUrVillage

Mordor

Member since Mar 2011

16048 posts

Posted on 7/2/19 at 11:19 am to VaBamaMan

Yep, PJ did the best he could with the hand he was dealt. I do not blame The Hobbit’s problems on him.

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Posted by SammyTiger

Baton Rouge, LA

Member since Feb 2009

79455 posts

Posted on 7/2/19 at 11:28 am to abellsujr

Yeah there would be almost not way to recap 1,5 on a TV show at a good rate

This post was edited on 7/2/19 at 11:29 am

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Posted by Scoob

Near Exxon

Member since Jun 2009

23555 posts

Posted on 7/2/19 at 9:13 pm to SonicAndBareKnuckles

quote:
Sweet! I really want to see a show about the Second Age mainly focusing on Elendil & sons.

I think that's what we are looking at.

People will be lured in by the LOTR connections, but hopefully hooked by the GoT style of drama with the Edain and the Eldar.

I'm very curious how it will begin... obviously in the book, Numenor was established as a reward for the Edain after the battles of the First Age. And while the Eldar had a presence in Middle Earth, it wasn't like it had been in the First Age; lots left. On the other hand, you have an open trade and alliance early on between Eregion (the Elves who made the Rings with Sauron), and the Dwarves of Khazad Dum, and occasional contact with the Edain. And note, they do name Rhûn, Khand, Harad, and Umbar.
Very little is written of them, but these were kingdoms of Men that fought under Sauron's banner in LOTR, from the East and South. They were Men that didn't get to go to Numenor, and generally resented and feared the Edain.
The two Blue Wizards went East early on, into those countries (I suspect Rhûn and Khand mostly); and also remember the Nine Rings (Nazgul) were for Kings of Men. Some might have been Numenorean, but at least a few likely came from those other countries (which locked them up for Sauron).

If they don't mess things up, this offers an amazing story potential. This could be legit within canon, and yet totally new and unexplored.

Tolkien's estate went totally insane about the ninja elves of the Hobbit, and for awhile I thought that was going to be the end of this on film (which is why I am hesitant about Jackson's involvement). I think they had some tight stipulations about not destroying such a carefully crafted world, and Amazon agreed to treat things with respect.

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Posted by WicKed WayZ

Louisiana Forever

Member since Sep 2011

34164 posts

Posted on 7/2/19 at 11:52 pm to Scoob

I’d much rather it be about Sauron’s rise to power, Elendil, Elrond and the major players of the 2nd age than anything from the first age. Everything you posted about the first age just didn’t seem like something they would do or something that would hook people in

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Posted by Scoob

Near Exxon

Member since Jun 2009

23555 posts

Posted on 7/3/19 at 12:32 pm to WicKed WayZ

quote:
I’d much rather it be about Sauron’s rise to power, Elendil, Elrond and the major players of the 2nd age than anything from the first age. Everything you posted about the first age just didn’t seem like something they would do or something that would hook people in

All the stuff about the other Men in the east, etc, that falls into the Second Age. That also includes the Istari (Wizards).

The First Age actually has some tremendous storylines, probably some of the best Tolkien ever conceived. Beren and Luthien, etc.
The problem is, I don't think it's practical, or even possible, to portray that in a visual medium, and keep any dramatic relevance that you could relate to. It all comes down to the scope and scale of the conflicts.

Middle Earth from the Second Age on, is primarily medieval combat with a fantasy overlay. You have armies taking and losing land, but other than the land being wasted, there's no real physical impact. The sole exception will be the destruction of Numenor, which seems to be a quite large island (and will likely be a centerpiece visual effect in the show, if shown).

First Age, on the other hand, goes way beyond that. And while you can read things and not be thrown off by the contrast in scale, seeing it onscreen would blow you away.
FA is the war against Morgoth, of whom Sauron is just a lieutenant. Most of the story is the Elves, and Men barely come into the picture. And yet, as powerful as the Elves would be, they too were hopelessly, comically outclassed by Morgoth; and it took the combined might of the Valar (Tolkien's Olympian gods) to defeat him. The result of that struggle LITERALLY destroyed over half the continent:

Everything in blue was land (and kingdoms) in the First Age. After the Valar fought him, everything in blue is now a giant crater filled in by the ocean.

Against THAT scale of destruction, simple human drama looks irrelevant.

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Posted by PillageUrVillage

Mordor

Member since Mar 2011

16048 posts

Posted on 7/3/19 at 4:54 pm to Scoob

Looks like they found their director for at least the first couple of episodes.

Juan Antonio (J.A.) Bayona

Don’t know if this is good or bad. I don’t know much about the guy.

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Posted by abellsujr