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Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar
The one big problem that a Tolkien theme park would face is that of legal rights. While travelling, I just recently visited the one and only movie site that still shows remnants of structures - " Hobbiton" in Matamata, New Zealand. The only reason it wasn't completely cleared away like the other filming sites was because bad weather stopped the deconstruction. When people started coming to see it, the farmer on whose land it is located went through a lengthy process to get permission to keep the hobbit holes as they were - stripped down to the basic structure, but with round door and window openings still visible. Above all, the magnificent Party Tree still stands, and seeing it was worth the admission price!
The guide told us that interest in seeing the location has grown rather than diminished within the past couple of years since the site has opened. Whether the same thing would apply to a theme park is hard to predict. I think it would be fun to collect specific ideas for speculating and dreaming about the kind of park you'd want to see made, if New Line and the Tolkien Estate gave their permission. |
Esty, that farm was chosen because of the tree. The irony is that prior to being chosen as the film location, the farmer's son was about to chop that tree down. They did add some 'digital leaves' to it though, I believe. Did it look as lush in real life?
I wouldn't hold your breath for the
estate to authorise a theme park, as that won't happen until the sun turns black and the stars fall from the sky, but the area around Sarehole in Birmingham is rapidly becoming something of a Tolkien tourist area - a new Stratford on Avon?
