The Silmarillion films???

[Black Breathalizer]

It won't happen in Christopher Tolkien's lifetime but once the old coot finally kicks the bucket and one of his more enlightened kin takes over the family business, I could see the estate selling the film rights to the Silmarillion for mega-bucks.

With the multibillion dollar film successes of the LOTR, anybody with half a brain knows that the Silmarillion is a hot property. After the Hobbit is finally filmed in a few years, the heat will be on to move to the Silmarillion. If handled properly, it could become a huge Star Wars-like film franchise.

The secret to success is that these have to be Peter Jackson films. Frankly, no one else could do the material justice.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Yes, for all the considerable good the "old coot" has done, including preparing the Simarillion, unfinished Tales, and Letters, he does seem rather crotchety (I can't see JRRT cutting off communication with a relative who differed with him- which I believe Christopher did to a son or grandson who talked to PJ's people about the films). So eventually you'd think there will be Simarillion films. The question is in what form: a set of movies like the LOTR films, stand alone films, a mini-series format?
A problem could be a time sequence. Some stories are essentially independent of each other but basically occuring around the same time (Turin and Tuor).
And I think PJ could do a great brief introduction to such a series with the Ainulindale and Valaquenta (like intro to Fellowship of the Ring)- although, as a very minor point, I still don't think he "literally" got the battle sequence of Sauron's losing the ring correct, although his version obviously works well on the big screen.

It was Gil-galad, Elven-king and Elendil of Westernesse who overthrew Sauron, though they themselves perished in the deed; and Isildur Elendil's son cut the ring from Sauron's hand and took it for his own."

My impression is a four-on-one battle, elf and man killed, while Sauron gets zapped by (Elrond and Isildur?).

[Melko Belcha]

I don't see the rights for The Simarillion every being sold, and I hope they never are. Christopher owns the rights and he would not leave the rights to anybody he thought would sell them, hell he cut his grand-son out of all the rights because he favored the LotR films. CT will make sure the rights go to someone who would never sell them.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Well, I for one hope there is never a movie made of the Silmarillion. They could never do it justice, not PJ, not anyone. And, if they ever did try to do a movie, I think they would probably pick a popular story, like "Of Beren And Luthien" and film it. I just don't see how it could be done any other way. The story is just to complicated, and there are far to many main charachters. Whatever though, I hope it's never done.

[Falagar]

If I've understood the system right the rights will be out in some years anyway (wasn't it 50 years after the author's death?).

I believe it is possible to make a good movie/good movies out of the book, but I'm afraid it's likely that it'll only be made cheap hollywood-adaptions. And anyway they'll ruin much for the imagination.

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Sister Golden Hair
Well, I for one hope there is never a movie made of the Silmarillion. They could never do it justice, not PJ, not anyone. And, if they ever did try to do a movie, I think they would probably pick a popular story, like "Of Beren And Luthien" and film it. I just don't see how it could be done any other way. The story is just to complicated, and there are far to many main charachters. Whatever though, I hope it's never done.

I'm with you, in that I hope it will never be done. Movie-LotR is enough! But if someone should pick up the idea, they would probably shrink the timeline and cut out many of the characters. And I don' even dare to think about the cast...

[Ainaromenel]

They won't (or rather shouldn't) do a Simarillion movie. First of all the story is too vast. The actual Quenta Silmarillion is the history of the "first age", but remeber, that is many many ages put together. The time Melkor was banished in the chamber in Mandos was three ages! Just that small section. There is no way that there could be an acurate portrayal of the timeline. Plus the story line is the history of the elves, but it is SO many stories put together. To even do a horrible in justice to the book and cut out huge parts of the story, the movie would have to be 5 or 6 hours long. It would have to be like ten movies put together to come close. Plus I don't think it would be as popular a venue. Almost everyone who has read them or not has heard of Lord of the Rings and/or the Hobbit, but at least half the people who have read all four of those haven't heard of the Simarillion. I don't think Peter Jackson would do it, and I don't think anyone else could convince the industry to do it. I just don't see it happening, and I think some stuff would be best left to the imaginations of the reader anyhow.

[Black Breathalizer]

I don't see it as one movie, I see it as a movie SERIES.

Tales of The Silmarillion I: Beren Ironfist and the Fortress of Doom.

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Black Breathalizer
It won't happen in Christopher Tolkien's lifetime but once the old coot finally kicks the bucket and one of his more enlightened kin takes over the family business, I could see the estate selling the film rights to the Silmarillion for mega-bucks.

Well that's rather disrespectful. I don't see how selling the rights to the Silmarillion for 'mega-buck' would make somebody more enlightened....

Personally I'm with SGH on this: In my opinion no one, Peter Jackson included therein, would be able to do the Silmarillion justice. It's not a linear story, it's more a web of different stories. Nor do I think the Silmarillion has the same appeal as LoTR to be put in a movie.

Also the changes in cast, storyline, ect....they would have to make, would IMO mar the tales. So I hope it never comes to a Silmarillion-movie.

Besides would they ever find somebody beautiful enough to play Lúthien Tinuviel?

[Attalus]

If I were doing a series of movies about the Sil, I would lead off with an adaptation of the tale of Beren and Luthien. Heck, I'd pay to see Angelina Jolie as Luthien. Can you imagine the scene where Luthien sings Morgoth and Cacharoth to sleep? Or Finrod's sacrifice? I can imagine tearing up at the death of Huan.

[matthew]

I'm with Earniel. PJ could never appropriately film the Sil, never mind the LotR. There would have to be WAY too many movies and PJ could never get enough comic relief. I'm still raging over the two towers (and dreading the return of the king).
PJ na alta ar tiuca. (translation: PJ is huge and fat)

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Attalus
Heck, I'd pay to see Angelina Jolie as Luthien.

O.o



*dies*

I'd pay NOT to see Angelina Jolie as Lúthien but I suppose that's a matter of opinion.

In a way it IS tempting.... one way I wonder at how first-age Middle-Earth would be portrayed and somehow I'd love to see it. The LoTR-movies inspired my imagination to see so much more detailed and beautiful sceneries and events, a Silmarillion-movie might give me something like that too. However on the other hand, the movie-images may kill my imagining of the Silmarillion. I hate to lose that special atmosphere the Silmarillion has for me.

And the odds that anyone can thruthfully bring the grandeur and complexity of the Silmarillion to the screen are IMO far, far too small. No, if they thought that LoTR was already unfilmable, the Silmarillion will prove yet more unfilmable by far.

[Shadowfax]

I totally agree with SGH and Eärniel! A movie of the Sil would wreck it and cheapen it. I could say more, but it's already been said by others.


NO Silmarillion-movie! Bad idea.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Originally posted by Black Breathalizer
"I don't see it as one movie, I see it as a movie SERIES.
Tales of The Silmarillion I: Beren Ironfist and the Fortress of Doom."
__________________________________________________ __
Hmm:
"Tales of The Silmarillion II:
Nirnaeth Arnoediad: The Empire strikes Back!"

(Of course the Roman Numeral sequence is tentative)

[Falagar]

Originally posted by Attalus
If I were doing a series of movies about the Sil, I would lead off with an adaptation of the tale of Beren and Luthien. Heck, I'd pay to see Angelina Jolie as Luthien. Can you imagine the scene where Luthien sings Morgoth and Cacharoth to sleep?

I can:
*Jolie alias Lúthien rolls into Morgoth's room, drawing two crossbows*
-[insert dirty word], Morgoth! Your evil plans have been fooled once again!
*wildly fires around the room, wounding/killing everyone*
-[insert cool comment].
*jumps up on the throne, draws her big jungle-sable and cuts off the Silmaril*

[Lollypopgurl]

Originally posted by Falagar
I can:
*Jolie alias Lúthien rolls into Morgoth's room, drawing two crossbows*
-[insert dirty word], Morgoth! Your evil plans has been fooled once again!
*wildly fires around the room, wounding/killing everyone*
-[insert cool comment].
*jumps up on the throne, draws her big jungle-sable and cuts off the Silmaril*

Scary, I can imagine that.

And I agree. NO Sil-film.

[Maedhros]

I think that a Silmarillion movie, as stated by other members already, would not work. It is of course too vast a time period.
I personally would settle for a Revised Silmarillion, a more complete sil than the one that CT published, or a extended version of the Lays of Beleriand.

[Valandil]

Even if someone ever did it... I wonder if the way to go would be total computer imaging... no actors, no actual sets... just a computer-generated world with computer generated models for characters. Then perhaps it could be done as a series of movies, released fairly close together... entire screenplays written from each chapter, fleshing out the stories and adding much more dialog...

Ironic thought, huh? The Ultimate Tolkien Story, done in with totally anti-Tolkien means.

[Elvellon]

Originally posted by Black Breathalizer
It won't happen in Christopher Tolkien's lifetime but once the old coot finally kicks the bucket and one of his more enlightened kin takes over the family business, I could see the estate selling the film rights to the Silmarillion for mega-bucks.

With the multibillion dollar film successes of the LOTR, anybody with half a brain knows that the Silmarillion is a hot property. After the Hobbit is finally filmed in a few years, the heat will be on to move to the Silmarillion. If handled properly, it could become a huge Star Wars-like film franchise.

The secret to success is that these have to be Peter Jackson films. Frankly, no one else could do the material justice.

First, a bit more respect would be appropriate.


And Christopher understands his father’s work better than anyone, and likely will choose wisely who will follow him. I doubt you will find much sympathy for the idea of making films of the Silmarillion now, specially made by Jackson, by whoever becomes in charge of the estate after him, and that is good.

[brownjenkins]

i don't know if it would be impossible to do the silmarillion justice... just difficult, and not a job for pj

i see it more like william wyler's ben hur or kubrick's sparticus... it's 100% grand drama (little to no humor)... probably split into at least three movies with many parts being meshed together from HoME writings

each movie would probably have to center upon one or two stories to make it interesting in and of itself... maybe the first being creation till the flight of the noldor (melkor and feanor being the focus), the second focusing on the wars in beleriand intermeshed with the stories of the coming of men and maybe ending with the story of turin, then the third focusing on beren and luthien, the fall of gondolin, tuor's journey's and the war of wrath (i know this is a little out of line, but with the story of turin being such a tragedy and b&l being a little more hopeful it would fit better towards the end of the series)

the biggest problem is the amount of characters involved (especially the generations of men)... there would certainly have to be some cut characters and maybe even condensations of roles... but it is such a grand story that a truly talented director (of kubrick or polanski calibre) could pull it off respectfully

after all there have been good films done about biblical stories... and most people see that material as being pretty sacred