A futuristic LOTR.

[Morsul the Dark]

Well here's a few to add in

Gimli would be a burly construction worker of course
Gandalf would be an electrician
Aragorn-I agree homeless person
Legolas would most likely be a male model

and what would bring all these charactor's together?

why fox's new hit reality show

Big Brother: Ring edition

[Alcarillo]

Here's my idea:

Sauron is the president of a huge software company called Morsoft or something like that. Morsoft merged with Hollyberry, presidented by Mr. Celebrimbor, and together they created 19 discs. Nine went to Sauron's henchmen, the guys who sat at the conference table with him, three went to some wealthy land developers and real estate moguls, and seven went to whoever the dwarves might be. Sauron, in secret, created the One Disc, which contained more amazing technological power than any others. It used a virus to cripple the computers of the other disc-owners. All of them except for the three. The owners of the three discs (land developers and real estate moguls, if you recall), with the aid of the mob, infiltrated Morsoft . It was in the conference room that Isildur, son of the mob-boss Elendil, used the shotgun Narsil and blew off Sauron's hand and gained the one disc for himself. Elrond, the assisstant of one of the real estate moguls (now killed), told Isildur (now mob-boss after his dad was killed) to destroy the disc by wiping its memory in Morsoft's supercomputer. Isildur refused, tempted by the disc's power. Unfortunately, as Isildur was wandering home, he was killed by hitmen hired by Sauron. The disc was not discovered, as it was dropped down a storm drain and remained there for years.

That's all I've imagined now. I might write some more later.

[Cailín]

I was also thinking along the lines of reality tv.

Why, it could be like "Amish in the City" meets "The Trip". The Hobbits being the totally clueless Amish of course and Legolas a shallow teen who goes "Oh My God" when he finds out Frodo doesn't know about fashionable jewelry - the One Ring being of course só last season. Aragorn would be the mysterious brooding gothic poet type. Gandalf is the only one who actually finished high school.

They would be rapping instead of singing nice Elven poetry and Shadowfax would be an extremely hot-stuff surfboard. This could so work. Totally.

[Alcarillo]

With the little story I typed above, I think Smeagol and Deagol could be septic workers cleaning the sewers or something. They could spy the One Disc and fight over it, and Deagol gets pushed into the water and is never seen again. But then who is Bilbo?

[Morsul the Dark]

Bilbo is the Officer checking out "The scene of the crime" and confiscates the disc as evidence bu then doesn't turn it in

[Alcarillo]

I'm continuing my little story:

The One Disc was lost in a storm drain, and now lay in a sewer. There it lingered for a long time until one day, two septic workers came walking along the sewer's edge (I'm no sewer expert, but isn't there a walkway along the side or something?) and spied the One Disc lying before their feet. These septic workers were brothers named Smeagol and Deagol. Deagol saw it first and picked it up, and both knew that it must be amazingly powerful (the label said so)

"Deagol, it's my birthday today," said Smeagol, "won't you give that to me as a gift?"

"I already gave you some perfectly good socks," said Deagol, "You've always wanted everything I have." He muttered something about greedy siblings.

Smeagol shoved him. "Please, it's my birthday."

Deagol shoved back. "No!"

Smeagol pushed him into the sewer and grabbed the disc. "Noooooo!" screamed Deagol as the sewer swept him down into the depths of who-knows-where.

Now, when their boss didn't see Deagol show up that evening he called the police, and Detective Baggins showed up with thirteen police officers. It was when Detective Baggins interrogated Smeagol that he confiscated the One Disc as evidence, and, because of the One Disc's mysterious allure, he kept it and never gave it up to the crime lab.

More later!

[Alcarillo]

Post #11 has given me the idea that Gondor is the mob. Gondor's kings are the mob bosses, and when Earnur, the last king (mob boss) of Gondor, is lost, the stewards (top henchmen?) take over. Aragorn is the last living relative of the old mob bosses. Arwen is the daughter of a real estate mogul.

[Ainaserkewen]

So the Shire is the subburbs and Gondor is a big city? Maybe Mordor is the wrong side of the tracks and Frodo and company ride skateboards to Mordor street. Yes! That's it! The cast are teenagers in a big city!