[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

What would worry me is that the story of Turin is so at odds with the typical fantasy action blockbuster. Essentially it's about a man who wants to be a hero and champion of good, but who ends up destroying almost everything he touches. He kills his most loyal friend, gets his sister pregnant and helps to bring about the destruction of one of the chief Noldorin cities. Nearly everyone who follows him or helps him ends up dead, as do most of the people he tries to protect; and much of it is due to his headstrong and undisciplined pride, which is a virtue in action films. A film would probably feel it needed to make him more conventionally heroic, give him some more victories and mitigate his worst mistakes. The incest between Turin and Nienor would almost certainly be dropped to keep the age rating down. Finduilas would become the obvious replacement, so she would have to be kept alive at least long enough to take Nienor's place in Brethil; poor old Mim would be simplified into the archetypal treacherous comrade. Don't even get me started on what would happen to the dialogue.

Copyright expires eventually, so just make the most of what will probably be a great book. Perhaps by the time someone can legally film it the film industry will have grown up enough to do it justice. Maybe there'll even be support for a British production by then; a creative response from Tolkien's home country, although I doubt it. In any case I don't think I could bear to see Tolkien's most tragic hero turned into a marketing vehicle for action figures and console games. Beleg Strongbow Happy Meals, anyone? Spare me.