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I'm sceptycal about this project...

ddaines wrote:

Thingol wrote:

I'm sceptycal about this project...

It says in the article that the Tolkien estate appear to be happy, I guess that with Christopher Tolkien's passing there is a lot more softening of attitudes.

It would appear that they are interpreting Tolkien's description of, quote "Some Halflings are dark skin precursors to Shire-hobbits quite possibly".... to possibly introduce  'Black' Hobbits..... "One of three somewhat different breeds” maybe Harfoots; [described by Tolkien in the Prologue to LOTR ‘Concerning Hobbits’ pg. 12: “they were browner of skin,” and also “they moved westward early,”

Lenny Henry who is a black British (alleged) 'comedian' apparently will portray one such early halfling [Harfoot]

I know that.... but black hobbit is the same example as the black Superman... I'm not a racist, but this is funny.... It is completely normal that the black humans interpret charachters from Harad / Far Harad or some south parts of the Middle'earth... but not roles of hobbits...

Last edited by Thingol (Tue, Aug3 2021 1:31pm)

Looks like Amazon are moving the series to the UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58196473

https://www.theonering.net/torwp/catego … n-studios/

For those with an interest in this project there are a few teaser images updated - cropped images of 'people' just to show weapons etc. with guessing comments from the 'Team'.

well , first teaser has arrived ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7v1hIkYH24

I am a bit perplex about the tone and the "freedoms" used. It looks more like a Narnia or Witcher or Wheel of Time stuff but after all... those heroic fantasy series are what "works" lately... one must consider it is a tv series and not a cinema blockbuster (no matter the budget... it's a question of "format")


Visually it is splendid... Galadriel as an 'adventurer' ... well, why? but i'm ready to hear...  Marcho and Blanco style hobbits with large antlers in their backs like wings.... odd... (and necessarily these are not Marcho and Blanco since we are during the Second Age...

Apparently we see Andunië , elven port of Numenor, with statues looking like the Argonath which is Numenorean style sculpturen
we also see an elven lord dark haired, I doubt it could be Elrond. Though the robes matches...but the other scenes with all the elves, and the fallen golden leaves let me think it is The Oath of Feanor...

And a lava scene... who is bearded in the lava? can't imagine what this scene is about...

the hand of a dirty man, which can be seen on a teaser poster with an apple in it... I wonder who it could be, a man (not numenorean?) a beorning ancestor?


I fear for the break of canon... I will be ok only if they fill history gaps that do not exist anywhere (I hope the producers have read the Unfinished tales... to be sure to not break the canon... thinking that nothing is written on an event...)

fact is, in addition to this trailer, I learned Saul Zaentz has put up for auction sale the whole Tolkien licence !! (the tolkien enterprise / middle earth enterprise)  to whoever is willing to pay the big price to get this licence (movies, gaming, merchandising...)
the bid price is said to be around 2 billion dollars (first price... it could go up)  ... Certainly Amazon, Warner/New Line... or maybe who knows even Disney... could acquire the rights... (though I doubt Disney would try it they have enough big franchises already to be sufficiant (marvel, star wars, pixar...)

Disney toyed with filming LOTR back in the day, didn't they? I seem to remember that JRRT himself was appalled with the notion.

apparenty depending on Amazon success, they want to make big money by selling the licence which is now ripe to provide lot of money... if Amazon buys it... I fear the worse... BUT at the same time they would be the best placed to produce any kind of derived products, not only movies... but also book editions, byproducts, tv series, and lots of stuff ... but at the risk of denaturing the work...

on the other hand Warner Bros/New Line... well, they could make great movies and films too but do they want or do they have the money to counter amazon ?

and in the end Disney would have no money problem... but do they want to add another huge franchise to their already huge empire ?

can you imagine future cross overs with Darth Vader meeting Iron Man meeting Sauron ? or Legolas against Hawkeye against Chewbaca or  Merida ?

....

ddaines wrote:

Disney is 'Woke' to the core, hands off!.

One day I must get someone to explain to me what "woke" means in trendy hip vernacular. Waking is something I do every morning, but I still don't understand it.

Barliman wrote:

ddaines wrote:

Disney is 'Woke' to the core, hands off!.

One day I must get someone to explain to me what "woke" means in trendy hip vernacular. Waking is something I do every morning, but I still don't understand it.

The term 'woke': the 2020 definition Definition in oxford dictionary says ‘Alert to injustice in society, especially racism.’ I think it is the shortened tern for 'Awoken'.

However, it is a word/phrase also used for describing cr*p like 'cancel-culture' etc. I think Disney has put out 'warnings' on their old movies that scenes in Bambi etc. are likely to offend some of society's 'sensitive souls (I can't recall exact examples). Also the need to cast actors into roles that are specifically inaccurate, e.g. the recent Anne Boleyn having a Black actress playing the title-role, David Copperfield being played by a chap with the surname Patel are bundled under the 'Woke' umbrella. My own 'uvver-half' is Sikh and she thinks it ridiculous and unnecessary.

It, along with other terms such as 'snowflakes', is used to describe 'bleeding-heart' liberal types who feel the need to apologise on behalf of those who they perceive to be offended, regardless of whether they are offended or not.

Anyhow, as views expressed can be mis-interpreted I will leave it at that