Inching closer to The Hobbit film - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 12-07-2007, 05:57 PM

Quote:

the second film will be influenced by the foundation of "The Silmarillion" and "The History of Middle-earth Series"

Well, that redflags this source as totally unreliable immediately.

Christopher Tolkien owns those rights; will never, ever sell them, and even if he did Peter Jackson and New Line would be the last people on earth he'd let near them; and if any Silmarillion/HME material were used as the 'foundation' for a prequel his lawyers would be all over New Line faster than you can say 'Intellectual Property."

Quote:

PJ has access to the JRR manuscripts and extensive notes as he did for the LOTR trilogy.

Poppycock. PJ had access to nothing (Christ, why would he need 'notes' ?) and he most assuredly doesn't have and won't get permission to access the originals in the Bodleian, nor, even if he did, could he do anything with them since they're copyright just as much as the published works.

It's bilge.

Sauron the White · 12-07-2007, 06:19 PM

WCH - In essence, I agree with much of what you have said. I do suspect that the source for this information was not a Tolkien person who knows the books very well. I also suspect that they are confusing references in both THE HOBBIT and in LOTR that are made about events from the First and Second Ages as well as other events in the Third Age not seen in LOTR films. Of course the legal excuse for this would be the appendices. There are enough people, places and events named there to fill several movies providing someone would be willing to fill in the gaps creating dialogue.

I know nothing of this rumor beyond what I posted. However, I have always felt that a filmmaker who owned the rights to LOTR and The HOBBIT could make several films about the events mentioned in the appendices and books themselves if they were bold and creative and willing to chance the legal difficulties that may arise.

Do you really think a judge or court wants to spend the time necessary to distinguish between the mention of the Silmarils and Beren and Luthien as mentioned in LOTR and what is explained much further in the SIL?

William Cloud Hicklin · 12-07-2007, 08:19 PM

For events of the Third Age the LR and its appendices are really the only source, aside from the 'History of Galadriel and Celeborn' and the historical essays in UT. I noted in a thread a while back that in the (EE) death of Isildur PJ stuck with the LR account and avoided any part of the more detailed UT version.

Nobody's going to bother with de minimis borrowings, like the Ring of Barahir or the origin of Elves. Brief mentions can fly under the radar. Full narratives, on the other hand, based on elements of say Akallabeth which are manifestly not in the Appendices would pose a problem.

What I think is more likely is that PJ or whoever is going to concoct a near-total fiction involving the White Council and the Necromancer, which legally they can do. Dammit.

TheGreatElvenWarrior · 12-08-2007, 12:16 AM

You know what, putting the other Middle-earth books into movies would be GREAT... but not with the Hobbit, just stick with the story we all know and love.

Just Stick with the written story. Dammit!

12-07-2007, 08:19 PM	#3
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	For events of the Third Age the LR and its appendices are really the only source, aside from the 'History of Galadriel and Celeborn' and the historical essays in UT. I noted in a thread a while back that in the (EE) death of Isildur PJ stuck with the LR account and avoided any part of the more detailed UT version. Nobody's going to bother with de minimis borrowings, like the Ring of Barahir or the origin of Elves. Brief mentions can fly under the radar. Full narratives, on the other hand, based on elements of say Akallabeth which are manifestly not in the Appendices would pose a problem. What I think is more likely is that PJ or whoever is going to concoct a near-total fiction involving the White Council and the Necromancer, which legally they can do. Dammit. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

12-08-2007, 12:16 AM	#4
TheGreatElvenWarrior Mighty Quill Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Walking off to look for America Posts: 2,230	You know what, putting the other Middle-earth books into movies would be GREAT... but not with the Hobbit, just stick with the story we all know and love. Just Stick with the written story. Dammit! __________________ The Party Doesn't Start Until You're Dead.

12-07-2007, 06:19 PM	#2
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	WCH - In essence, I agree with much of what you have said. I do suspect that the source for this information was not a Tolkien person who knows the books very well. I also suspect that they are confusing references in both THE HOBBIT and in LOTR that are made about events from the First and Second Ages as well as other events in the Third Age not seen in LOTR films. Of course the legal excuse for this would be the appendices. There are enough people, places and events named there to fill several movies providing someone would be willing to fill in the gaps creating dialogue. I know nothing of this rumor beyond what I posted. However, I have always felt that a filmmaker who owned the rights to LOTR and The HOBBIT could make several films about the events mentioned in the appendices and books themselves if they were bold and creative and willing to chance the legal difficulties that may arise. Do you really think a judge or court wants to spend the time necessary to distinguish between the mention of the Silmarils and Beren and Luthien as mentioned in LOTR and what is explained much further in the SIL?