Lord of the Rings TV series gets multi-season order at Amazon

[Rhun charioteer]

They've said Young Aragorn, second age would require either the Silmarillion, or the writers are delving ever deeper into outright fanfic.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Rhun charioteer

They've said Young Aragorn, second age would require either the Silmarillion, or the writers are delving ever deeper into outright fanfic.

Do we know what they have the rights to? The rumours at the time of the announcement were that Amazon had been negotiating with the Estate, which they shouldn't have to do if they were just using the same rights as New Line did. And with Christopher retired (and retired at a very pointed time), it's not impossible that they've acquired the right to use Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, at least.

As for Young Aragorn: yes, they did indeed. So why are they posting maps featuring Calenardhon and Lindon? The latter could be a mistake; the former would require them to have forgotten about Rohan, which Aragorn will probably actually visit.

hS

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

As for Young Aragorn: yes, they did indeed. So why are they posting maps featuring Calenardhon and Lindon? The latter could be a mistake; the former would require them to have forgotten about Rohan, which Aragorn will probably actually visit.

I have a possibly-too-cynical-possibly-not suspicion that they might compress the history so drastically that Aragorn is present at the founding of Rohan, which will be presented as having existed for only about sixty years by the time of the War of the Ring, rather than five hundred.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

I have a possibly-too-cynical-possibly-not suspicion that they might compress the history so drastically that Aragorn is present at the founding of Rohan, which will be presented as having existed for only about sixty years by the time of the War of the Ring, rather than five hundred.

... oh stars.

I would love to say this is utterly ridiculous and inconceivable, were it not for the fact that Shadow of Mordor did precisely that with, well, Mordor.

...

Well, we should at least know soon enough what they're playing at with the map.

hS

("Eorl? Nay, Eorl was my father, young Aragorn; he fought alongside your father Isildur in the Last Alliance. I am Theoden, and I will gladly serve at your side, even should an evil wizard o'erthrow my will and make me his puppet...")

[Rhun charioteer]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Do we know what they have the rights to? The rumours at the time of the announcement were that Amazon had been negotiating with the Estate, which they shouldn't have to do if they were just using the same rights as New Line did. And with Christopher retired (and retired at a very pointed time), it's not impossible that they've acquired the right to use Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, at least.

As for Young Aragorn: yes, they did indeed. So why are they posting maps featuring Calenardhon and Lindon? The latter could be a mistake; the former would require them to have forgotten about Rohan, which Aragorn will probably actually visit.

hS

They have the rights to the Hobbit and LOTR and the appendices. They don't have the right to the Silmarillion or the unfinished tales or the HoME.

As for compressing the history, they must know that's going to enrage the Tolkien fanbase. Shadows of Mordor was popular because of its innovative and dynamic game mechanics, not its story, Amazon won't be able to use that to get away with it here.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Rhun charioteer

As for compressing the history, they must know that's going to enrage the Tolkien fanbase. Shadows of Mordor was popular because of its innovative and dynamic game mechanics, not its story, Amazon won't be able to use that to get away with it here.

I doubt the opinions of "traditional" fans have been much of a factor in the project. They're after the movie fans who only want more of the same.

[Rhun charioteer]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I doubt the opinions of "traditional" fans have been much of a factor in the project. They're after the movie fans who only want more of the same.

My question would then be how exactly are they planning on marketing that? The PR speak is going to be glorious in how inane it is, "we respect Tolkien's lore and detail, for creativity sake, we are making creative adaptations of the background material" or something equally PRy and corporate faced.

[Huinesoron]

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

"Laurelindorenan". Whatever this is, it's NOT the late Third Age.

"Enedhwaith" is interesting; Tolkien Gateway says that the published book used "Enedwaith", without the h, but Tolkien adopted the h in later writings. Christopher used "Enedwaith" in Unfinished Tales.

"Ras Morthil" is notable only because the Druedain lingered there for a long time.

"Belfalas" is very potentially interesting, because of its status as a Numenorean Faithful stronghold.

In a nice touch, the compass on the Twitter version (but not on the browsable map) has been updated with the correct Tengwar labels - Formen, Romen, Hyarmen, Numen.

hS

EDIT: Someone has pointed out that there were 3 days between the first and second maps, and 7 between the second and third. So... expect another one on the 6th March? ~hS

[Rhun charioteer]

If the show isn't about Aragorn, I wonder what it could possibly be about.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Rhun charioteer

They have the rights to the Hobbit and LOTR and the appendices. They don't have the right to the Silmarillion or the unfinished tales or the HoME.

Thanks; I didn't realise we'd had confirmation that the bizarre assertion from the news article back when, that '[t]he deal Amazon landed with the estate gives it access to nearly all of the material in the Middle Earth saga (although not 100% of it)', was incorrect. Good to know!

For anyone still thinking about the map, I've just posted a thread over in Books that includes evidence that those eastern mountains are actually Tolkien's own creation, though not necessarily the fabled Orocarni.

hS