Waiting For Amazon's Lord of the Rings MMO
Tolkien enthusiasts may recollect Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies, announcing that it was developing a new MMORPG, based upon The Lord of the Rings, back in September 2018. The following summer, it was revealed that Amazon Game Studios was the partner developer for the project. In late 2020, Leyou Technologies (a Hong Kong-based company), was acquired by the Chinese conglomerate Tencent. This triggered a contract clause with the license holder, Middle-earth Enterprises, allowing them to terminate the existing arrangement if a new deal could not be met. Amazon and Tencent were unable to agree upon how to proceed with the project, leading Amazon to withdraw from negotiations. The project was subsequently scrapped. No details or images of the MMO have been released.
Tolkien enthusiasts may recollect Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies, announcing that it was developing a new MMORPG, based upon The Lord of the Rings, back in September 2018. The following summer, it was revealed that Amazon Game Studios was the partner developer for the project. In late 2020, Leyou Technologies (a Hong Kong-based company), was acquired by the Chinese conglomerate Tencent. This triggered a contract clause with the license holder, Middle-earth Enterprises, allowing them to terminate the existing arrangement if a new deal could not be met. Amazon and Tencent were unable to agree upon how to proceed with the project, leading Amazon to withdraw from negotiations. The project was subsequently scrapped. No details or images of the MMO have been released.
However, despite the project being terminated, Amazon Games still wished to develop a game based upon Tolkien’s Legendarium. No doubt driven by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ love of this intellectual property, plus the fact that Amazon MGM Studios is committed to producing further seasons of the TV show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Hence, in May 2023, it was announced that another The Lord of the Rings MMO was in the early stages of production. This time, the development and publishing of the game is under a new agreement with Embracer Group’s who bought Middle-earth Enterprises in August 2022. The new game is being developed by Amazon Games Orange County, the same studio that created the MMO New World. At present, it is not clear how far into development the game is or the scheduled release date.
Two and a half years on from the initial announcement, no major details of this new MMO have been released. However, there is no indication that the project is in any sort of difficulty either. Thus it is logical to assume that no news is good news and that the game is still in full production. From the little information that is in the public domain it would appear that the game will be utilising an evolved version of the Azoth Engine (which was developed for New World) to deliver a distinct realisation of Middle-earth. One of the game’s aims is to be able to support large-scale multiplayer battles. At present the developers are searching for a unique “hook” to differentiate the game from others in the genre. Apparently, the game is not linked to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is set in the Second Age. Instead the game is clearly set in the literary events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Naturally, such a dearth of information has led to a great deal of speculation from Tolkien fans and gamers. Firstly, the term MMO is very nebulous and can include a wide variety of gaming genres and sub-genres these days. Is this game a traditional MMORPG with a persistent world, quests, player progression and a key social dynamic, like New World itself. Or are we looking at a game with an emphasis on multiplayer battles with the social elements being adjacent to the main game, such as Destiny 2 or something similar? What will the business model be? A freemium hybrid like traditional MMOs, or a totally free-to-play game with a season pass? Furthermore, will this new game be available across multiple platforms, as New World, The Elder Scrolls Online and Neverwinter?
For many gamers perhaps the biggest question is how will the release of a new multiplayer game based upon Tolkien’s work, impact upon the existing MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. From a business perspective, can two such games co-exist without threatening each other’s business prospects, or will there be licensing issues? Although Star Wars Galaxies was not directly "killed off" to make way for Star Wars: The Old Republic, its closure was the result of a mutual decision by LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) after their contract was set to expire and because they felt there was no need for two Star Wars MMOs. Could something similar be a possibility here? LOTRO is currently 18 years old and has a small but loyal playerbase. However, it clearly is not going to grow any further. Would a significant proportion of its core players migrate to a new game?
Competition is a healthy thing, in principle at least and it is nice as a consumer to have choice. I am always interested in different people’s visions of Professor Tolkien's work, such as artists like Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith, so for me a new game would be welcome purely from a creative and aesthetic perspective. The themes and lore of Middle-earth lend themselves to a variety of interpretations, so I see no benefit in creating an MMO that just replicates what LOTRO does. However, business is often loath to deviate from the tried and tested models that are currently profitable, so there is a possibility that gamers may well just get the same meat, but with different gravy. All of the so-called WoW killers that were released over the last 15 years have essentially followed that game’s formula.
I would like the new LOTR MMO to be a less linear game with more dynamic content and the chance to develop characters that aren't solely based around combat. To be able to lose oneself in a virtual Middle Earth, where you are free to explore, craft, farm, trade or simply wander would be a true marvel and a massive step forward for gamers and fans of the IP. If such a system could be combined with optional narrative quests and multiplayer battles, then it may be the perfect compromise. But such ideas are not necessarily practical, achievable or economically viable. The development costs required to create such a world would be substantial and the risk of such an experimental project would be substantial. Such an undertaking is best left to the likes of Raph Koster. In the meantime, we just have to wait and manage our expectations, which is a gamer’s default position.
The Songs of Middle-earth: Part Two
Song is a fundamental aspect of Tolkien's writing, serving the same role as it does in our own cultures. It is a means of documenting history, expressing cultural heritage and maintaining traditions for the people of Middle-earth. The Ents sing lists of lore. The Rohirrim sing of battle and heroic deeds and the Shire folk, of ale and frivolity. Let us not forget that Tolkien’s fictitious world, Arda, was effectively sung into existence via the Ainulindalë, the divine music of creation sung by the Ainur. The cultural significance of song is also a key element of Tolkien’s world building. The songs within the narrative bolster the authenticity of the various cultures of Middle-earth, embedding their history and heritage into the story. Music, rhymes and songs also help define characters. The lighter ones sung by hobbits, provide lighthearted moments, contrasting with the dark and dangerous tones of the larger narrative. It also reinforced their rustic heritage.
Song is a fundamental aspect of Tolkien's writing, serving the same role as it does in our own cultures. It is a means of documenting history, expressing cultural heritage and maintaining traditions for the people of Middle-earth. The Ents sing lists of lore. The Rohirrim sing of battle and heroic deeds and the Shire folk, of ale and frivolity. Let us not forget that Tolkien’s fictitious world, Arda, was effectively sung into existence via the Ainulindalë, the divine music of creation sung by the Ainur. The cultural significance of song is also a key element of Tolkien’s world building. The songs within the narrative bolster the authenticity of the various cultures of Middle-earth, embedding their history and heritage into the story. Music, rhymes and songs also help define characters. The lighter ones sung by hobbits, provide lighthearted moments, contrasting with the dark and dangerous tones of the larger narrative. It also reinforced their rustic heritage.
Eight years ago I collated three songs that were either inspired by Tolkien’s writings or were indeed specific songs from the source text that had been set to music. These can be found here; The Songs of Middle-earth: Part One. The post was originally intended to be part of a series, so I therefore thought it was high time that I wrote about another three, as there is still so much material to choose from. Once again I have chosen two which are clear adaptations of songs in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and have been set to music. Then there is one which is an original piece, though clearly inspired by Tolkien’s Legendarium and sung in Quenya. I have also added the lyrics and where necessary an English translation.
Gil-galad was an Elven king is a poem consisting of three stanzas, spoken aloud by Sam Gamgee in The Fellowship of the Ring. It is a brief account of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor and his death during the siege of Barad-dûr at the hands of Sauron. Sam states that he learned the verse from Bilbo Baggins but Strider then asserts that it is part of a larger, older piece, written in an ancient tongue (probably Quenya) and that Bilbo no doubt translated it into the common speech. The song version presented here is from the BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The music is by Stephen Oliver and composed in the English pastoral tradition, The vocalist is actor and singer Oz Clarke who adopts a baritone style.
Gil-galad was an Elven king
Of him the harpers sadly sing
The last whose realm was fair and free
Between the mountains and the sea
His sword was long, his lance was keen
His shining helm afar was seen
And all the stars of heaven's field
Were mirrored in his silver shield
But long ago he rode away
And where he dwelleth none can say
For into darkness fell his star
In Mordor where the shadows are
Misty Mountains features in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The music is written by Howard Shore and the words are an abbreviated version of the original song written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the book The Hobbit. Sung by the character Thorin Oakenshield, played by actor Richard Armitage, the rest of the cast provide additional vocals. The song itself is an oral history of how the kingdom of Erebor was attacked by the Dragon Smaug and how the dwarves were driven from their home. It is sung “a cappella” and has an almost “Gregorian chant” religious quality to it. The song was subsequently used as a leitmotif throughout the remainder of the film.
Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold
The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light
Golden Leaves is an original song composed by Bear McCreary for the first episode of the second season of the Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It features lyrics sung in Quenya by actor Benjamin Walker, who plays Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor. The song is a lament for the fading of the Elves in Middle-earth and how it is time to return to Valinor. According to Bear McCreary, the lyrics were created by John D. Payne and were inspired in part by the lyrics Tolkien wrote for Galadriel’s Song in The Fellowship of the Ring. Dialect coach Leith McPherson guided Benjamin Walker’s pronunciation of the Quenya text. Characters expressing themselves in song is a core tenet of Tolkien’s writing and Golden Leaves reflects that admirably.
Sís laurië lassi taiter,
yénin linwavandië.
Anpalla Vai Ahtalëa,
sí lantar Eldaniër.
Eldalié! Eldalié!
Hrívë túla helda ré úlassëa.
Eldalié! Eldalié!
I lassi lantar celumenna.
(Children’s choir:) Cormar nelde aranin Eldaron
Eldalié and’ amárielvë
ambena solor.
Sí néca riëmancan,
viliën an Valinor
Eldalié! Eldalié!
Hrívë túla helda ré úlassëa.
Eldalié! Eldalié!
I lassi lantar celumenna.
Here long the golden leaves grew,
on years branching.
For beyond the Sundering Seas,
now fall Elven-tears.
O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
Winter is coming, bare leafless day.
O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
The leaves are falling in the stream.
(Children's choir:) Three rings for the Elven kings
Elven-kind long have we dwelt
upon this hither shore.
Now fading crown I trade,
to sail to Valinor.
O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
Winter is coming, bare leafless day.
O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
The leaves are falling in the stream.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
I have always found it curious that there haven't been more feature films set in Middle-earth, after the success of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, a little research shows a very complex set of rights regarding Tolkien’s work, with different material being controlled and administered by different bodies. Hence, the market has not been saturated with officially licensed material. Thus, when The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was announced to be in production, it aroused a great deal of curiosity both among fans and those with an interest in the wider film industry. To base an entire feature film on something that is effectively just a few paragraphs in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings is quite intriguing. The producers claimed it afforded them greater artistic freedom not to be constrained by an excess of lore. Industry pundits theorised that the film was being produced solely to ensure that wider rights were retained.
I have always found it curious that there haven't been more feature films set in Middle-earth, after the success of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, a little research shows a very complex set of rights regarding Tolkien’s work, with different material being controlled and administered by different bodies. Hence, the market has not been saturated with officially licensed material. Thus, when The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was announced to be in production, it aroused a great deal of curiosity both among fans and those with an interest in the wider film industry. To base an entire feature film on something that is effectively just a few paragraphs in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings is quite intriguing. The producers claimed it afforded them greater artistic freedom not to be constrained by an excess of lore. Industry pundits theorised that the film was being produced solely to ensure that wider rights were retained.
Setting aside the provenance of the production, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a competent anime fantasy film directed by Kenji Kamiyama. Set 183 years prior to the events of The Lord of the Rings, the film depicts the reign of Helm the Hammerhand, King of Rohan. During a council meeting with the Lords of Rohan, Freca Lord of Adorn requests that Helm’s daughter, Héra, marry his son Wulf to unite the Rohan. Freca being of part Dunlending blood and considered by many in Rohan as an outlander. However, Helm rejects the offer and rebuffs Freca. A fight ensues between the two leaders and Helm kills Freca with a single punch. Wulf leaves, vowing revenge and subsequently raises an army among the Dunlendings. A surprise attack on Edoras forces the Rohirrim to retreat to the Hornburg. With the death of her two brothers and her father stricken with grief, it falls to Héra to rally her people and turn the tide of the war.
From a production perspective, there is much to praise about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The background art is sumptuous and vivid and there is a strong score by composer Stephen Gallagher. He cunningly uses classic themes by Howard Shore and further embellishes the soundtrack with solid material of his own. The animation is dynamic and doesn’t pull its punches. Limbs are severed and blood is spilt. The anime style works surprisingly well with the source material and certainly doesn’t look out of place. I am not a great fan of this medium but did not find it a deal breaker in any way. The voice acting is strong with the central characters having clear and distinct voices. The screenplay does not excessively diverge from established lore although it does make some changes for the sake of the narrative arc. Héra being an original character.
However, despite solid production values The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has two fundamental problems. The first is the story simply cannot sustain its two hour running time and the film could easily have been 30 minutes shorter. What is an interesting footnote in the source text, remains such as a feature film and nothing more. The second is the compulsion that new entries in a franchise often have, to try and directly link to events that occurred in a previous movie. For example there is a totally unnecessary action scene that is resolved by the appearance of a beast identical to the “watcher in the water” outside the West-gate of Moria. It doesn’t really hold up logically and seems very arbitrary. There are also several other clumsy references to both Orcs and Gandalf as the screenplay hamfistedly attempts to link to the forthcoming events of The Lord of the Rings.
Hardcore Tolkien fans may get more enjoyment from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, than broader audiences. I found the film to be sufficiently entertaining but upon reflection it really doesn’t add much to the existing Tolkien cinematic universe. Also, as a Tolkien aficionado I can think of plenty of other stories referenced in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, that would make a better feature film. I think The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim would have fared better if it was part of a smaller scale television show called “Tales of Middle-earth” or something similar and the story was told over a more concise running time. As it stands, this 134 minute animated film falls between two stools. It is not bad but it is not anything more than adequate. When you consider the pedigree of the production and who is involved, you expect a lot more.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2
Two years ago, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Amazon Prime to mixed reviews and a tedious and predictable internet brouhaha. I have no interest in that debacle as I consider it spurious, to say the least. Representation is a commercial imperative for any big budget television production. As for any deviation from the established canon, that’s due to the show being an “adaptation” of Tolkien’s work. At no point were viewers promised a literal interpretation of the source text. Therefore I am only interested in legitimate critiques of the show based upon its production, writing and acting. As far as I’m concerned, the first season was broadly entertaining and had outstanding production values. Overall I enjoyed The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as an exciting and inventive take on Tolkien’s legendarium. Hence, I have been looking forward to the second season, which began today.
Two years ago, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Amazon Prime to mixed reviews and a tedious and predictable internet brouhaha. I have no interest in that debacle as I consider it spurious, to say the least. Representation is a commercial imperative for any big budget television production. As for any deviation from the established canon, that’s due to the show being an “adaptation” of Tolkien’s work. At no point were viewers promised a literal interpretation of the source text. Therefore I am only interested in legitimate critiques of the show based upon its production, writing and acting. As far as I’m concerned, the first season was broadly entertaining and had outstanding production values. Overall I enjoyed The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as an exciting and inventive take on Tolkien’s legendarium. Hence, I have been looking forward to the second season, which began today.
As I have only watched the first three episodes of Season 2, this is not a review. It is simply some initial thoughts. My opinion may change when I have seen all eight episodes. So far, relocation of the production from New Zealand to the UK does not appear to have had a detrimental impact on the show’s aesthetics or high quality. Weta FX and Industrial Light and Magic still continue to produce the lionshare of visual effects. Long term Tolkien illustrator John Howe, remains the main conceptual artist and although there has been changes in staff relating to costume and production design, there still appears to be a sense of visual continuity between this show and Peter Jackson’s feature films. Bear McCreary has also been retained to provide the score and has again provided some outstanding new themes. I was pleasantly surprised to see cast member Benjamin Walker singing “Golden Leaves” in Sindarin. Song is such an integral part of Tolkien’s work.
Narratively, Season 2 quickly resumes where the previous ended. Here are a few of the ongoing plot points. In an extended flashback we see why the transition of power from Morgoth to Sauron did not go well. We also get to see Sauron in an earlier physical guise played by Jack Lowden. The “meteor man” has reached Rhûn with Nori the Harfoot and it would appear that they are being tracked by the minions of a “Dark Wizard”. The unnamed sorcerer refers to the “meteor man” as an Istar, a Quenya term for “wise”. The Wizards of the Third Age were known as the Istari; “wise ones”. In Khazad-dûm, seismic activity caused by the eruption of Mount Doom leads to the collapse of many of the city’s light wells, disrupting the Dwarves’ means of food production. In Eregion, Sauron takes the guise of Annatar, Lord of Gifts and tricks Celebrimbor into making further rings of power.
So far it seems that show runners, J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, are working more within the parameters of Tolkien’s legendarium than previously. This may be due to the story moving forward into more closely defined “history”. The addition of further canonical characters such as Narvi (Kevin Eldon) and Círdan (Ben Foster) certainly makes the proceedings feel more “Tolkienesque”. Adar, the Dark Elf chieftain of the Orcs, is played by a different actor to season one but due to the prosthetic makeup, it doesn’t make any significant difference. I am extremely curious to see Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil and I saw via the IMDb that Jim Broadbent is providing a voice for what may be an Ent. I find the presence of so many established UK actors reassuring. Also the fact that the show uses Hammer’s old studios at Bray, in Berkshire.
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has gotten off to a good start. With five more episodes to go, it can still cover a lot of ground. At present it is the non canonical material that holds my interest the most. The introduction of a “Dark Wizard” in Rhûn is not an implausible plot element. The Blue Wizards travelled to that region and were ultimately lost. Saruman himself dwelt there at one point. And then there is the Dark Elf Adar, allegedly one of the first to be corrupted by Morgoth. In another bold choice, there is a brief appearance in episode three of a female Orc holding an Orc baby. Rather than being perturbed by the creative choices of the showrunners, I find them a source of fascination. If I want pure Tolkien, then there are the source texts and audio productions to enjoy. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is ultimately just one of many interpretations of Middle-earth. I suspect in the years to come there will be more. Not all will be to everyone’s tastes. However, if they introduce people to the original texts then that is no bad thing.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Having watched the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, I wish to express my thoughts on what I’ve seen and my overall impressions so far. I do not think it would be fair to frame this post as a review as the two episodes only constitute 25% of the show’s total content. A formal review of the first season seems more appropriate when I have seen it in its entirety. Before I begin commenting on specific points about the two premier episodes, I wish to point out that I have no problem with “representation” and have expressed my thoughts on this matter in a previous post. It also covers the matter of “adaptation” and how complex texts can at times require augmenting to be made accessible to wider audiences. Hence those viewers who want 100% canonical purity are unrealistic in their expectations. Objections based in racism and sexism can simply be ignored. NB I shall endeavour to keep my thoughts spoiler free.
Having watched the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, I wish to express my thoughts on what I’ve seen and my overall impressions so far. I do not think it would be fair to frame this post as a review as the two episodes only constitute 25% of the show’s total content. A formal review of the first season seems more appropriate when I have seen it in its entirety. Before I begin commenting on specific points about the two premier episodes, I wish to point out that I have no problem with “representation” and have expressed my thoughts on this matter in a previous post. It also covers the matter of “adaptation” and how complex texts can at times require augmenting to be made accessible to wider audiences. Hence those viewers who want 100% canonical purity are unrealistic in their expectations. Objections based in racism and sexism can simply be ignored. NB I shall endeavour to keep my thoughts spoiler free.
It seems an obvious thing to say but the production design, visual effects and overall aesthetic for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is beautiful. The visual style created in Peter Jackson’s trilogy is broadly adhered to here and these two separate productions do not clash in this sense. The cinematography by Oscar Faura is sumptuous in its style and epic in its scope. The landscapes exude character and feel alive. So far the visual style is very cinematic and doesn’t look purely functional as some TV productions do. The visual effects both CGI and practical, are of a very high standard, as you would expect from such studios as Weta Digital and ILM.
One of the first things that strikes you about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the music by Bear McCreary. It is in the idiom of material written by Howard Shore for the film trilogy (Shore has written the theme for the show). But McCreary’s material is very much his own. There is a striking Dwarven theme that plays when Elrond enters Khazad-dûm and I hope that the show continues to have memorable cues which add to the overall ambience and personality of the story arc.
At present there are four storylines running broadly in parallel. Galadriel’s ongoing hunt for Sauron, Elrond’s diplomatic mission to Khazad-dûm, Bronwyn and Arondir’s adventure in The Southlands beyond the Sea of Rhûn and the arrival of “meteor man” among the Harfoots. So far, all are engaging with many direct and indirect lore references. Classic character’s such as Gil-Galad, Celebrimbor and Durin III have already made an appearance thus inferring that certain major historical events will be depicted in future episodes and seasons. Original characters are used to expand historical events and bridge any narrative gaps. Also, there is a certain amount of compressing the time frame to accommodate the story pacing. This is not new and PeterJackson did this in his cinematic trilogy. Performances are fine and the absence of A list celebrity actors is a wise decision as that would no doubt detract from the proceedings. Director J.A Bayona creates a sense of tension in these first two episodes, especially around the first appearance of an Orc. He is, after all, an exponent of the horror genre.
I viewed the first two episodes of the show in HDR 4K on a 43 inch TV. Mrs P also watched and felt that there was no requirement to be a major fan to enjoy what was happening. She does not consider herself a Tolkien aficionado but has seen Peter Jackson's films several times and has read the source text once. The plot and characters are accessible and the story so far, is not excessively convoluted or arcane. So far there has not been anything included in this “adaptation of Professor Tolkien’s work that I consider to be beyond the pale or a deal breaker. Overall this is a robust and sumptuous imagining of Middle-earth, so we will certainly continue to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, mainly because we want to know more.
Embracer Group Buys Middle-earth Enterprises
In February this year, I wrote a blog post about how Middle-earth Enterprises were seeking to auction off the various rights they hold for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Today the Embracer Group announced that it was buying these rights as part of an ongoing acquisition strategy. The Swedish video game and media holding company has also purchased Limited Run Games, Tripwire Interactive as well as Middle-earth Enterprises portfolio. They recently acquired premium titles such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief. The Embracer Group currently owns more than 100 studios including Borderlands developer Gearbox, Saber Interactive, and THQ Nordic. Saudi Arabia recently bought a $1 billion stake in Embracer, which is around 8% of the company’s total shares. Embracer’s recent purchasing spree comes months after it acquired Square Enix’s three major Western game studios. In a press release the cost of buying the right to Tolkien’s work is £653,000,000 ($786,000,000).
In February this year, I wrote a blog post about how Middle-earth Enterprises were seeking to auction off the various rights they hold for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Today the Embracer Group announced that it was buying these rights as part of an ongoing acquisition strategy. The Swedish video game and media holding company has also purchased Limited Run Games, Tripwire Interactive as well as Middle-earth Enterprises portfolio. They recently acquired premium titles such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief. The Embracer Group currently owns more than 100 studios including Borderlands developer Gearbox, Saber Interactive, and THQ Nordic. Saudi Arabia recently bought a $1 billion stake in Embracer, which is around 8% of the company’s total shares. Embracer’s recent purchasing spree comes months after it acquired Square Enix’s three major Western game studios. In a press release the cost of buying the right to Tolkien’s work is £653,000,000 ($786,000,000).
Middle-earth Enterprises was originally a division of The Saul Zaentz Company, a Hollywood production studio. In 1976 they bought all the rights associated with Tolkien’s literary work apart from the publication of the books which remained with Harper Collins. The acquisition was required to make the 1978 animated feature film version of The Lord of the Rings, directed by animator Ralph Bakshi. The initial purchase of rights also included the screenplay for John Boorman’s proposed live action adaptation of Tolkien’s iconic trilogy. Since then, any commercial undertaking seeking to use any of Tolkien’s intellectual property has been dependent upon a licensing arrangement with Middle-earth Enterprises. To date this has included motion pictures, video games, board games, theme parks, stage and wider merchandising. However, they do not cover television which falls outside of the scope of the rights.
Whenever there is a change of ownership of rights, it always tends to send a ripple of concern among companies that currently hold licences. Do those who now control the intellectual property intend to make any radical changes to the status quo. It is worth noting that during his lifetime Saul Zaentz who owned Middle-earth Enterprises was somewhat of a Tolkien purist. Hence apart from two cinematic trilogies and a handful of video games, Middle-earth related products and marketing has not become as ubiquitous as Star Wars or Marvel. However, after the death of Saul Zaentz in 2014 and Christopher Tolkien’s resignation from the Tolkien Estate in 2017, there seems to be a sea change in the positions of the various rights holders. Hence Amazon Prime secured the rights for a television show based upon the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings.
The Embracer Groups press release indicates that some ongoing projects will remain unaffected by the change of ownership. However, they also suggest that they have broader plans for the intellectual property they’ve acquired. “Key upcoming works set in Middle-earth, in which Middle-earth Enterprises has financial interests, include the much-heralded Amazon series The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power which will premiere on September 2, 2022, set thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; the animated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Warner Bros), set for release in 2024, and the mobile game The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth (Electronic Arts).Other opportunities include exploring additional movies based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn and other characters from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and continue to provide new opportunities for fans to explore this fictive world through merchandising and other experiences”.
Naturally, as a long time player of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, I’m curious to see if this change in rights ownership will have an impact upon the game. At present LOTRO is developed by Standing Stone Games which is owned by Daybreak Game Company, which is in turn owned by Enad Global 7 (and not The Dave Clark Five). Recently after some changes in share ownership there may have been a reverse takeover and the former may own the latter. Regardless of this corporate structure, LOTRO is dependent upon a licence, previously from Middle-earth Enterprises. This was renewed circa 2017 and has not been raised since then by any party as a matter of concern. At present there are no obvious licensing issues for LOTRO and there appears to be a further expansion for the game in development. As ever, the best policy seems to be to watch, wait and enjoy the game for the present.
Adaptation, Representation and Those Who Don’t Like Either
I was perusing my Twitter timeline last night and a tweet appeared from someone who doesn’t seem to care for the casting of Lenny Henry as a hobbit in the upcoming Amazon Prime TV show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. If you’re not familiar with Lenny Henry he’s a British comedian and actor of Jamaican heritage, who was one of first people of colour to establish himself as part of the cultural mainstream in the UK. He’s funny, smart and well respected. However, this particular individual on social media (we will not dignify them with a name check) was not happy about canonical authenticity being subject to the whims of representation. They tried to portray their objections as legitimate criticism based on a good faith argument, but some of the terminology they used clearly showed their true intent was passive aggressive dog whistle racism.
Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows
I was perusing my Twitter timeline last night and a tweet appeared from someone who doesn’t seem to care for the casting of Lenny Henry as a hobbit in the upcoming Amazon Prime TV show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. If you’re not familiar with Lenny Henry he’s a British comedian and actor of Jamaican heritage, who was one of first people of colour to establish himself as part of the cultural mainstream in the UK. He’s funny, smart and well respected. However, this particular individual on social media (we will not dignify them with a name check) was not happy about canonical authenticity being subject to the whims of representation. They tried to portray their objections as legitimate criticism based on a good faith argument, but some of the terminology they used clearly showed their true intent was passive aggressive dog whistle racism.
Setting aside twitter trolls, I’d like to briefly discuss the matter of representation, especially with regard to film and television. Simply put, representation is important. First off there are the moral and ethical reasons. Contemporary films and TV should accurately portray the world in which we live. Hence the diverse nature of society should be reflected both on the small and big screen. Furthermore, such depictions should be credible and fair. Secondly, representation is commercially viable. Paying audiences like to see people like themselves in the films and TV shows that they watch. Hence the success of the Blaxploitation genre during the seventies. Bruce Lee’s rise to fame also did much to make Asian actors and culture more accessible during the same decade. And if representation doesn’t matter, why does Hollywood continuously remake international films for its home market? Shall I also mention the commercial and critical success of Black Panther?
Films are commercial ventures. Directors and writers may well wish to talk about “art” but most major studios are in the movie business to make money. Films and TV shows are products. Representation increases financial viability. It’s as simple as that. So with this in mind, let us consider what happens when the rights to a major intellectual property, such as a beloved series of books, are sold to be adapted into a series of films or a lengthy TV show. The said IP will be repurposed to ensure that it meets certain criteria. These may include a specific rating, the inclusion of specific actors who have box office appeal, irrespective as to whether they are a good match for the part. And obviously representation is a factor. How exactly can a major production justify such potential changes from the source text? The key is the word “adaptation”. The bottom line is once the rights to an IP have been sold, all bets are off unless the original writer has some sort of creative control.
Hollywood has been altering plays, novels and other popular franchises since the film business started. Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect any adaptation of an IP that you enjoy to remain 100% authentic to the source text by default. You can make all sorts of arguments about why this shouldn’t be the case. For example, an author’s work should be respected and their artistic vision maintained and such like. However, such arguments seldom survive long outside of the rarified atmosphere of the classroom and tend to disappear upon contact with capitalism. The movie business is about making a return upon an investment and is not interested in philosophical arguments and ethical abstractions. If there reaches a point when the idea of a black actor portraying James Bond is deemed to be commercially viable, it will happen. Regardless of what the purists and the racists think or want.
Richard Roundtree as John Shaft
Returning to the matter of last night’s Twitter troll, what was noticeable was not so much their racist position which is tediously commonplace in fandom these days, but the way they lacked the courage of their convictions. They tried to represent their position as something it wasn’t. It wasn’t a good faith appeal regarding the sanctity of an author’s work, but just a cheap exercise in unsubtle bigotry. If you’re going to be racist, be upfront about it. As for all the other objections you hear when so-called fans aren’t happy about something, they’re equally as bogus. Despite claims to the contrary, no one can get into your head and retrospectively ruin your childhood. If you don’t like something, ignore it. Be an adult and rise above it. As for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, I hope it proves a success both critically and commercially. Especially if that pisses off all the bigots.
Middle-earth Enterprises to Auction Off Rights
In 1969 J.R.R. Tolkien sold the motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and other literary works to United Artists. UA were riding high at the time with the success of In the Heat of the Night and The Graduate. Allegedly Tolkien made the deal to pay off a tax debt, although this may be apocryphal. He was paid £100,000 which is equivalent to £1,680,000 today. He also retained a 7.5% royalty interest that has now been transferred to the Tolkien Estate. UA toyed with the idea of adapting The Lord of the Rings and many cinematic luminaries were associated with the project. In the early seventies British film director John Boorman was tasked with writing a screenplay. Boorman, an established director with a track record of being experimental, set about developing a script with his long term collaborator, Rospo Pallenberg. However, the project was cancelled due to costs and the studio getting “cold feet”.
In 1969 J.R.R. Tolkien sold the motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and other literary works to United Artists. UA were riding high at the time with the success of In the Heat of the Night and The Graduate. Allegedly Tolkien made the deal to pay off a tax debt, although this may be apocryphal. He was paid £100,000 which is equivalent to £1,680,000 today. He also retained a 7.5% royalty interest that has now been transferred to the Tolkien Estate. UA toyed with the idea of adapting The Lord of the Rings and many cinematic luminaries were associated with the project. In the early seventies British film director John Boorman was tasked with writing a screenplay. Boorman, an established director with a track record of being experimental, set about developing a script with his long term collaborator, Rospo Pallenberg. However, the project was cancelled due to costs and the studio getting “cold feet”.
In 1976 United Artists sold most of their rights to Tolkien's work to the Saul Zaentz Company. Zaentz, an established film producer best known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, then established Tolkien Enterprises to manage the rights that he'd acquired. Two years later, he produced Ralph Bakshi’s animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The company name was later changed to Middle-earth Enterprises to avoid confusion with the Tolkien Estate. Over the next two decades Middle-earth Enterprises entered into various licensing and merchandising deals for both video and tabletop role-playing games. In 1997,a deal was struck with New Line Cinema for a live-action film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The trilogy of films released between 2001 and 2003, made over $3 billion at the box office. A further trilogy of films were made between 2013 and 2015, based upon The Hobbit.
Since the success of Peter Jackson’s films, you would have thought that Middle-earth Enterprises would have capitalised more upon the intellectual property that they controlled. Yet Saul Zaentz was quite a Tolkien purist and along with Christopher Tolkien (Tolkien’s son), was not keen to see the brand “debased”. However, Zaentz died in 2014 and in his last years Christopher Tolkien stepped from the Tolkien Estate, down due to ill health. Tolkien’s grandchildren apparently have a more innovative approach to the running of the Tolkien Estate. Hence in 2017, they made a deal with Amazon for the global television rights for The Lord of the Rings. Jeff Bezos is a consummate fan of Tolkien and beat Netflix and HBO in the bidding war for the TV rights, paying $250,000,000. Apparently, the Tolkien Estate is so pleased with the development of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power that they have provided access to material from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.
Which brings us neatly to yesterday’s announcement by Middle-earth Enterprises that they are to auction off the rights they own pertaining to Tolkien’s work. Episodic, big budget, fantasy television shows are a very lucrative business. If you want verification then cast your mind back to a popular HBO series based upon the works of George R.R. Martin. Hence, with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power due for release in September of this year, Middle-earth Enterprises obviously thought it was the right time to sell their rights. Note that these include merchandise and video games. Two lines of business that have great commercial potential. It is logical to assume that Amazon will want to acquire these rights as it will compliment their existing Tolkien based portfolio perfectly. Middle-earth Enterprises rights are currently valued at $2 billion.
However, business is seldom black and white. I’m sure there may well be other interested parties such as Disney, Netflix or HBO. They may be “curious” about the intellectual property and what it can yield. Or they may be interested in curtailing the business ambitions of a competitor. Buying rights, intellectual properties and patents and then sitting on them is a thing. It’s not always about your own products but sometimes stopping other people’s. Furthermore, if Amazon do buyout Middle-earth Enterprises, what impact would that have upon existing licensed products? Daedalic Entertainment is currently developing a Gollum themed game. And then there is the long standing MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. If the licence that Standing Stone Games currently rely upon isn’t renewed then it would mean the closure of the game. Yes, we’ve endured such shenanigans before. But last time Amazon wasn’t involved.
It’s also worth remembering that Amazon were developing their own MMORPG in conjunction with Athlon Games. However Athlon Games were bought out by Tencent Holdings and Amazon was “unable to secure terms to proceed with this title”. This raises some interesting questions. Was the game completed? What has happened to the code? Was it scuttled purely due to legal issues IE who got what percentage? If these “problems” were resolved, IE Amazon bought out Tencent’s stake, could the game go ahead? If Amazon did launch its own MMORPG based upon Tolkien’s work, would they want a competitor? Remember that Star Wars: Galaxies was closed to clear the path for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The auctioning of Middle-earth Enterprises rights at this time is not a coincidence. I have a suspicion that when the dust settles Amazon will be holding all the cards. And where there’s a winner there’s also a loser or losers.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Trailer
Finally the first teaser trailer for Amazon Prime’s forthcoming TV show set in the Second Age of Middle-earth has been released. The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power will be released weekly on Amazon’s streaming service commencing September 2nd 2022. The first season consists of eight episodes. The series is a prequel to the events of The Lord of the Rings, depicting "previously unexplored stories" based on Tolkien's works. The show will include such iconic locations as the Misty Mountains, the elf-capital Lindon, and the island kingdom of Númenor. The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power maintains the visual and design aesthetic of the existing Peter Jackson movies. Furthermore, composer Howard Shaw maintains his involvement as does artists and designer John Howe. Apparently, due to the Tolkien Estate being happy with the development of the show, Amazon had gained access to certain elements and passages from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to include in the narrative arc.
Finally the first teaser trailer for Amazon Prime’s forthcoming TV show set in the Second Age of Middle-earth has been released. The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power will be released weekly on Amazon’s streaming service commencing September 2nd 2022. The first season consists of eight episodes. The series is a prequel to the events of The Lord of the Rings, depicting "previously unexplored stories" based on Tolkien's works. The show will include such iconic locations as the Misty Mountains, the elf-capital Lindon, and the island kingdom of Númenor. The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power maintains the visual and design aesthetic of the existing Peter Jackson movies. Furthermore, composer Howard Shaw maintains his involvement as does artists and designer John Howe. Apparently, due to the Tolkien Estate being happy with the development of the show, Amazon had gained access to certain elements and passages from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to include in the narrative arc.
The trailer itself reveals no footage from The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power. Its primary purpose is to formally announce the new TV show’s name and to set out its stall. However, it is worth noting that like the TV show itself, Amazon went all in with the actual trailer. The first season is alleged to have had a production cost of $465 million. Although no data appears to be available on the budget for the trailer, it features the talents of director Klaus Obermeyer, legendary special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull renowned foundryman Landon Ryan. I’m sure such an ensemble production team does not come cheap. As for the teaser trailer itself, it is suitably evocative of ring forging and the threat of dark powers. The lush soundtrack is certainly in the established idiom of “the sound of Middle-earth”. It has piqued both mine and a good many other people's curiosity.
I recently discovered both of the original theatrical trailers for the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings created by Ralph Bakshi. One is simply a portentous narration but the second is far more interesting. It features a montage of still images. Some of them are background paintings used in the movie, while others seem to be production art. The voice-over descends into hyperbole and is somewhat misleading, but you have to remember that the fantasy genre was not a common staple of the box office of the times. Like many films the pre-production process can often produce an inordinate amount of material that never makes it into the final edit. Some of this can be seen in the trailer. It’s interesting to see how Tolkien’s work has grown in popularity within popular culture over the last forty years and how that is reflected in the difference between the two trailers.
Revisiting Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings
In December it will be the twenty year anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring. The first entry in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of film adaptations of Professor Tolkien’s iconic novel, The Lord of the Rings. I was utterly swept up in the hype and media frenzy that persisted for three years around these movies between 2001 and 2003. I certainly have fond memories of seeing each film on the first day of its release at the prestigious Leicester Square Odeon in London. Broadly speaking I was very impressed with all three films at the time of their release. However, over the years excitement and fandom has been tempered with a greater degree of critical analysis and appraisal. Having recently watched the Extended Editions of all three films, remastered in 4K, I now think it would be pertinent to revise my thoughts on them and repost them here on Contains Moderate Peril. This initial post is intended more as an overview on the trilogy. I shall write three new in depth reviews in due course.
In December it will be the twenty year anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring. The first entry in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of film adaptations of Professor Tolkien’s iconic novel, The Lord of the Rings. I was utterly swept up in the hype and media frenzy that persisted for three years around these movies between 2001 and 2003. I certainly have fond memories of seeing each film on the first day of its release at the prestigious Leicester Square Odeon in London. Broadly speaking I was very impressed with all three films at the time of their release. However, over the years excitement and fandom has been tempered with a greater degree of critical analysis and appraisal. Having recently watched the Extended Editions of all three films, remastered in 4K, I now think it would be pertinent to revise my thoughts on them and repost them here on Contains Moderate Peril. This initial post is intended more as an overview on the trilogy. I shall write three new in depth reviews in due course.
One of the most striking aspects of Peter Jackson’s films is the overall production design and the aesthetics of Middle-earth in the Third Age. Fans had already started becoming accustomed to a common visual approach to Tolkien’s work, care of John Howe and Alan Lee, the artists that publisher Harper Collins had been using for several years prior to 1999 when filming started. Inviting both to be artistic designers on the films provided a sense not only of continuity but also of a formal aesthetic across the entire intellectual property. Both artists have a knack for combining real world historical elements, with fantasy creating styles of armour, weapons, architecture and clothing that looks real and credible. There is incredible attention to detail present in every element of the production, just as there is in Tolkien’s source text.
In a similar vein, filming in New Zealand was a wise decision as it provides such a diversity of environment and ecosystems. It really is ideal for recreating much of Middle-earth. Jackson’s visual realisation of The Shire is very lush and green. Similarly, the Southern Alps of the South Island effectively capture the spirit of Tolkien’s descriptions of the Misty Mountains and are very imposing. Filming outside of the US also had definite cost benefits to the overall production. However, not every geographical aspect of Middle-earth is as well represented. I have always felt that the Rangitata Valley did not adequately capture the rolling grass plains of Rohan. To my mind it wasn’t green enough. Rohirric culture is based upon both Goths, Scandinavians and the medieval Anglo-Saxons and so I envisage Rohan being more akin to European grasslands. However, such criticisms are far from a deal breaker in respect of one’s appraisal of the overall trilogy.
A key element in Tolkien’s writing is the use of music and how it is an integral part of all the cultures of Middle-earth. Composer Howard Shore wisely made Tolkien’s songs a key part of his soundtrack. As well as writing leitmotifs for central characters and recurring story themes, he also incorporated Sindarin text and other dialects into much of the ambient music to further embellish scenes. It really adds to the overall feeling of “world building”. In many ways his music for all three films feels like a character in its own right. His music also allows for the compression of the narrative and to convey plot points. When Aragorn heals the sick after The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the music succinctly reinforces the visual images. Rather than having to explain that "the hands of the king are the hands of a healer" what the film shows is further reinforced by the accompanying score. However, although this is a joy for Tolkien fans, its subtleties may be lost on the casual viewer.
Peter Jackson also made a wise decision by casting a group of international character actors rather than smothering his production with box office stars. Sean Connery as Gandalf may well have broadened the appeal of the films but ultimately his larger than life persona would have been a poor fit for the nuances of the character. Casting Ian McKellen was a far more practical choice and proved infinitely more beneficial as the actor utterly made the role his own. Christopher Lee was another cany choice. Not only was he an experienced and subtle actor but a Tolkien scholar as well. The narrative complexity of The Lord of the Rings feature films did not need the additional burden of celebrity stars bringing their own baggage to the production. Using lesser known actors allowed audiences to focus upon their performances rather than be distracted by their sheer presence.
Tolkien’s body of work is remarkable for the way it successfully manages to encompass era defining events, yet still being able to tell the story of those caught up in them. This is something a lot harder to do on screen. Peter Jackson excels at creating complex and large scale set pieces but sometimes they tend to dominate the proceedings at the expense of narrative depth. It was one of the criticisms that Christopher Tolkien made, who felt that the focus of the movie was on action and spectacle at the expense of story and lore. I feel the reality lies somewhere in the middle. Certainly the Extended Editions of all three films addresses this issue, reinstating story content that was excised from the theatrical edits. Ultimately viewers have to come to terms with the fact that these three movies are Jackson’s “adaptation” and reflect upon the meaning of that term.
Hence we come to the thorny issue of how any film version of a complex book leads to key plot elements and characters being either simplified or removed for reason of accessibility. Personally I don’t especially like the “streamlining” of certain characters for the sake of the wider story, although I understand why Jackson did this. I feel that his portrayal of Theoden is somewhat bland, portraying him as a grief stricken King who is indecisive. I also feel it is incorrect to depict Aragorn as conflicted with self doubt. But these were done to make the plot more straightforward and understandable among mainstream viewers, who are not familiar with the books. I do like the extrapolation of the roles and relationship between Saruman and Wormtongue. Also having several Orc characters act as narrative conduits also works well. It is sad that Gil Galad and Elendil were also watered down or removed but it would have bloated the screenplay too much to include all canonical characters.
Twenty years on, I am not quite so enamoured with Peter Jackson’s trilogy and feel that there are elements that could have been improved or handled differently. However, there is still an inherent power to his films and he still merits a great deal of praise for crafting such an imposing adaptation of a book that many claimed was “unfilmable”. He definitely got specific elements one hundred percent right. The Amazon television production set in the Second Age of Middle-earth that is currently being filmed, is maintaining the same design and visual aesthetic. Howard Shore is also involved to keep a sense of musical continuity. All of which raises the point, will the next adaptation of The Lord of the Rings be via the medium of streaming television, rather than cinema? Such a platform is not burdened by running time constraints. It could therefore facilitate a more comprehensive realistion. Whatever the future brings, I don’t think Peter Jackson’s film will be the only ever adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings Unabridged Audio Soundscape Project
I have reviewed several audio recordings of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings over the years. My personal favourite is the BBC Radio adaptation from 1981, which has a superb cast of British character actors and does a wonderful job of adapting the text without diminishing the scope of the narrative. This is a dramatisation, rather than a straightforward reading of the book. However, if the latter is what you are looking for then the go to version is 1990 recording by Robert Inglis. He provides unique voices for all characters and even sings the songs included in the source text. And then there is the quirky Mind’s Eye Production from 1979, which is another dramatisation. This is a flawed version with a focus upon the character dialogue with much of the lore removed. Yet it has its charm and includes the often omitted Tom Bombadil. However, quite recently I accidentally stumbled upon a fourth adaptation and was surprised not only by the quality of the production but the curious history associated with it.
I have reviewed several audio recordings of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings over the years. My personal favourite is the BBC Radio adaptation from 1981, which has a superb cast of British character actors and does a wonderful job of adapting the text without diminishing the scope of the narrative. This is a dramatisation, rather than a straightforward reading of the book. However, if the latter is what you are looking for then the go to version is 1990 recording by Robert Inglis. He provides unique voices for all characters and even sings the songs included in the source text. And then there is the quirky Mind’s Eye Production from 1979, which is another dramatisation. This is a flawed version with a focus upon the character dialogue with much of the lore removed. Yet it has its charm and includes the often omitted Tom Bombadil. However, quite recently I accidentally stumbled upon a fourth adaptation and was surprised not only by the quality of the production but the curious history associated with it.
The Lord of the Rings Unabridged Audio Soundscape Project, to give it its official title, is a reading by American filmmaker and artist, Phil Dragash from 2013. This 48 hour long version features a spirited reading by Mr Dragash, who gives all major characters distinct personalities, as well as ambient sound effects and music by Howard Shore from the feature film trilogy. This adaptation is presented as three books with each chapter being an individual recording. Initially this unique production was available on YouTube and the audio was accompanied by hand painted artwork, again by Phil Dragash. Sadly due to copyright reasons, this impressive one man creation was taken down and is not readily available as it does somewhat stray from the traditional boundaries of what is a “fan production”. However the excellent original artwork is still available on Phil’s website.
The Lord of the Rings Unabridged Audio Soundscape Project is the very definition of a labour of love. It would appear that this recording took three years to produce and refine. It is made to a very high standard, although there are a few misread lines here and there. Phil does well with providing interesting voices for so many characters and despite not being a professional actor he interprets the dialogue well and provides it with dramatic inflection. The sound effects add to the atmosphere, as does the clever use of Howard Shore’s iconic score. It provides an emotional anchor and a sense of familiarity to the proceedings. Sadly, it also raises legal issues which is why this production is not widely available. However, Google is your friend. Seek and you will find as they say. You will be rewarded with a distinctive audio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, comparable to both the BBC and Rob Inglis versions.
Waiting for the New Middle-earth MMO
In late 2018 it was announced that Amazon Game Studios and Leyou were collaborating on massively multiplayer online game for PC and consoles set in Middle-earth. Ongoing development is being handled by Athlon Games, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play console and PC games. The studio is a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited. But beyond the fairly vague press releases that can be found on the Athlon Games website (the last was posted in July 2019), little detail has emerged about the project. There has been unsubstantiated rumours that the project may well tie-in with the forthcoming Amazon Prime TV show that is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth. However, there is little information at present in the public domain to fully substantiate this or any of the other ongoing speculation. Hence, the entire situation raises some interesting questions and I’m sure like me, you have probably pondered some of them. Here are just a few that have crossed my mind.
In late 2018 it was announced that Amazon Game Studios and Leyou were collaborating on massively multiplayer online game for PC and consoles set in Middle-earth. Ongoing development is being handled by Athlon Games, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play console and PC games. The studio is a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited. But beyond the fairly vague press releases that can be found on the Athlon Games website (the last was posted in July 2019), little detail has emerged about the project. There has been unsubstantiated rumours that the project may well tie-in with the forthcoming Amazon Prime TV show that is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth. However, there is little information at present in the public domain to fully substantiate this or any of the other ongoing speculation. Hence, the entire situation raises some interesting questions and I’m sure like me, you have probably pondered some of them. Here are just a few that have crossed my mind.
Will this title be directly competing with Standing Stone Games MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online?
Exactly what sort of MMO will this new LOTR based game be, as the very term MMO is extremely elastic these days.
Will the appropriate licensing body allow two games from the same genre to exist simultaneously?
Exactly what business model will this new MMO have?
What iteration of the franchise will this game be based upon? Will it draw directly from the Peter Jackson movies (like games such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War) or will it create a unique vision of Middle Earth as with SSG’s LOTRO?
Due to the lack of any definitive information, all we can presently do is speculate about the answers to these questions. Firstly, as to “do we need another The Lord of the Rings themed MMO”, I certainly think the market can sustain one. Competition can be a healthy thing and it is nice as a consumer to have choice. Products can co-exist harmoniously if they provide different experiences. I am always interested in seeing different people’s visions of Professor Tolkien's work, such as artists like Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith, so for me a new game would be welcome purely from an creative and aesthetic perspective. There is also a wealth of lore that is available to be developed into new storylines. This is something that Turbine and Standing Stone Games have managed to do successfully over the past thirteen years. Any new game can easily explore an aspect of Tolkien’s work that hasn’t been touched by any previous product. There is no need to simply tread old ground.
Now if this new The Lord of the Rings themed MMO is marketed in direct competition to LOTRO, then I would expect it to be a very different beast, based around the mechanics and systems that are currently popular within the genre. I do not see any benefit in simply creating an MMO that replicates what exactly LOTRO does. I would not be surprised if this new MMO was closer to The Elder Scrolls Online in its systems design. It is also worth considering licensing arrangements. When Star Wars: The Old Republic was released in late 2011, a decision was made to close the older MMO Star Wars Galaxies. Exactly why this happened has never been officially discussed, so we do not know if this was solely about concerns over competition. However, the legal rights for Tolkien’s work are administered by a completely different body, so it doesn’t mean that a similar fate necessarily awaits LOTRO. But it is prudent to at least reflect upon what happened to SWG.
Personally, I would like to see a less linear game with a far more open world environment, dynamic content that is proximity based and the chance to develop charterers that aren't solely based around combat. To be able to lose oneself in a virtual Middle Earth, where you are free to explore, craft, farm, trade or simply aimlessly meander, would be a massive step forward for fans of the IP. But I am fully aware that what delights me may well deter other gamers and that ultimately any game is going to have to find a balance between the new and established systems that are economically viable. The development costs required to create a truly open world version of Middle-earth would be substantial and more importantly, the risk of such an experimental project would potentially be the biggest obstacle. Conversely, just using Tolkien’s world for yet another PVP or Battle Royale game would in my view be a waste of the franchise.
I'm sure that many interested parties will be keeping an eye on Athlon Games over the next year to see how this new MMO pans out. Let us hope that further information is forthcoming regarding its development and its specific nature. However, a quality MMO is not made overnight and so I’m not optimistic that I’ll be playing this new game any time soon. If it is tied to the Amazon Prime TV show, then the games launch may also depend on whether that show gains any traction. Furthermore, the TV show may well be intended to run over numerous seasons and try and emulate the sustained success of Game of Thrones. If that's the case then this new MMO may not appear until the TV show has hit its peak popularity. And if the show is not well received the game could well be cancelled before release. Therefore, it may well be best for Tolkien fans to simply just keep an eye on this project and continue to focus on those games such as LOTRO that do currently exist and provide a specific service.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum in Development
In recent years there has been a shift in position of both Middle-earth Enterprises and the Tolkien Estate. Saul Zaentz died in 2014 leading to a relaxing in licensing requirements and Christopher Tolkien stepped down as the director of his father’s estate in late 2017, further contributing to increased commercial use of Tolkien’s intellectual property. Since then we have learned that Athlon Games are developing a new MMORPG set in Middle-earth and that Amazon Prime is producing a major TV show set in the Second Age. It would appear that the firm grip that has prevailed over the last forty years is now waning and that Middle-earth Enterprises and the Tolkien Estate are more disposed towards expanding the reach and financial potential of the Tolkien franchise.
In recent years there has been a shift in position of both Middle-earth Enterprises and the Tolkien Estate. Saul Zaentz died in 2014 leading to a relaxing in licensing requirements and Christopher Tolkien stepped down as the director of his father’s estate in late 2017, further contributing to increased commercial use of Tolkien’s intellectual property. Since then we have learned that Athlon Games are developing a new MMORPG set in Middle-earth and that Amazon Prime is producing a major TV show set in the Second Age. It would appear that the firm grip that has prevailed over the last forty years is now waning and that Middle-earth Enterprises and the Tolkien Estate are more disposed towards expanding the reach and financial potential of the Tolkien franchise.
Despite the major canonical deviations made by Monolith Productions with both Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel Shadow of War, both games were substantial commercial and critical successes. Perhaps other studios have seen the creative possibilities that the Middle-earth IP can finally offer, now that both controlling parties are being more flexible in their approach to licensing. That is my pet theory, and perhaps it might explain the recently announced Gollum themed role-playing game that is currently in development by German video game studio Daedalic Entertainment. Of all the characters and scenarios they could have picked, the studio have elected to create a narrative driven game based upon the life of Frodo Baggins’s nemesis and former ring bearer, Sméagol. I’m not sure if this is a bold or insane move.
According to Carsten Fichtelmann, CEO and Co-Founder of Daedalic, “The Lord of the Rings is one of the most epic and renowned stories of all time - it's an honour for us to have the opportunity to work on our own contribution to this universe. In Gollum, players will assume the role of one of the most iconic characters in Middle-earth. We tell Gollum's story from a perspective never seen before, in any storytelling medium, all the while staying true to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien. At a time when the games industry is undergoing structural changes and seeing new business models evolve, we are excited to realize a huge new production based on a story that has stayed fresh and relevant for more than 60 years”. As with most soundbites, it tells us very little about the game itself. Den of Geek managed to speak to Carsten Fichtelmann and Jonas Hüsges (Project Manager and Head of Business Development), although there still isn’t much to tell.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
Due to the terms of the licensing agreement, Daedalic Entertainment will be creating their own unique Middle-earth aesthetic and are not pursuing photorealism or the visual style established by the film trilogies. Perhaps they will take the same stylised approach they did with their adaptation of Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth. I personally would have no issue with such a choice. The game play will potentially involve stealth, as this is an integral part of Gollum’s character (both with and without The One Ring). So maybe we will see a game mechanic similar to that of Sniper Elite or Ghost of a Tale? It has also been indicated by Daedalic Entertainment that there may be further games to follow as their license covers more that just The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Tentatively, the game is scheduled for a release in 2021. If this title does bear any similarity of Pillars of the Earth, then it could be released on Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and iOS.
Age has greatly tempered my position on fandom and I look back at my former zealous, lore-based fundamentalism of multiple popular IPs with a degree of embarrassment and mirth. For example, did Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War take massive liberties with the source material? Yes. Did they ruin my enjoyment of Tolkien’s work? No. Did I have fun and enjoy both games? Again, yes. Therefore, however incongruous a Gollum themed role-playing game may sound, I believe there is scope for it to be of interest. Narratively speaking there’s a lot that can be done with the character with and some noticeable gaps in his back story to explore. As for a video game based around stealth and silent kills, we know that if done right, such a concept can definitely work. So I am happy to extend the benefit of the doubt to Daedalic Entertainment and remain cautiously optimistic for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.
The Lord of the Rings: 10 Things You May Not Know About the Animated Film
Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 adaptation of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings often polarises fan opinion. There is much to admire and there is also much to dislike in this 133-minute animated feature film. However, for many of us, this was our first visual foray into Middle-earth and for good or ill, it had an impact. You’ll certainly see several homages to it in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. And like so many cinematic adaptations of iconic books, The Lord of the Rings journey to the big screen was far from easy. Here are ten anecdotes regarding the film and its production.
Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 adaptation of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings often polarises fan opinion. There is much to admire and there is also much to dislike in this 133-minute animated feature film. However, for many of us, this was our first visual foray into Middle-earth and for good or ill, it had an impact. You’ll certainly see several homages to it in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. And like so many cinematic adaptations of iconic books, The Lord of the Rings journey to the big screen was far from easy. Here are ten anecdotes regarding the film and its production.
1.) In 1969, the rights to The Lord of the Rings were acquired by United Artists from Tolkien himself for the cost of $250,000. Film makers Stanley Kubrick and John Boorman both contemplated adapting the story.
2.) United Artists had to purchase the John Boorman script to allow the Bakshi production to commence. It cost $3 million and was immediately abandoned in favour of a more literal adaptation.
3.) An early draft of the new screenplay was written by Chris Conkling, who told most of the story in flashback from Merriadoc Brandybuck's point of view. After Ralph Bakshi and Saul Zaentz saw Conkling's first draft, they hired fantasy author Peter S. Beagle to re-write the script. He restored much of Tolkien's original dialogue.
4.) At two hours and thirteen minutes, this was the longest feature-length animated film made at that time. The production cost was $4,000,000
5.) Bakshi and his cast and crew went to Spain and filmed a substantial amount of material using actors and stuntmen in full costume. The footage was subsequently rotoscoped and integrated into the traditional animated material.
6.) Several of voice artists who worked on the Bakshi film, subsequently reprised their roles for the 1981 BBC Radio adaptation three years later. These were Michael Graham-Cox as Boromir and Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum/Smeagol.
7.) Numerous scenes where filmed and subsequently cut for technical reasons or for the pacing of the story. This included Gandalf’s battle with the Balrog as they fell into the abyss in Moria. Part of it can still be seen in the film during a flashback sequence.
8.) The film's score was composed by Holly wood veteran, Leonard Rosenman. Bakshi wanted to include music by Led Zeppelin but was hampered by complex legal and rights issues.
9.) The film was originally intended to be distributed as The Lord of the Rings Part One. According to Bakshi, United Artists executives told him that they were planning to release the film without indicating that a sequel would follow, because they felt that audiences would not pay to see half of a film.
10.) The film was adapted into comic book form with artwork by Spanish artist Luis Bermejo, under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Three issues were published for the European market and were not published in the United States or the UK due to copyright problems.
The Hobbit (1977)
The Hobbit (1977) is a curious beast. It’s a made for television animated film, which despite its budgetary constraints, strives to comprehensively adapted one of the most beloved children’s books of the last century. I remember reading an article about this television adaptation of The Hobbit, in Starburst Magazine during the late seventies. There were rumours that this Rankin/Bass production, which had already premièred on US network television, would gain a European cinema release. This was presumably to cash in on the success of Ralph Bakshi's animated feature film adaptation of The Lord of The Rings. However, this never happened to my knowledge. In fact, The Hobbit was not commercially available in the UK until 2001, when Warner Bros. released it on DVD to capitalise on the success of Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Hobbit (1977) is a curious beast. It’s a made for television animated film, which despite its budgetary constraints, strives to comprehensively adapted one of the most beloved children’s books of the last century. I remember reading an article about this television adaptation of The Hobbit, in Starburst Magazine during the late seventies. There were rumours that this Rankin/Bass production, which had already premièred on US network television, would gain a European cinema release. This was presumably to cash in on the success of Ralph Bakshi's animated feature film adaptation of The Lord of The Rings. However, this never happened to my knowledge. In fact, The Hobbit was not commercially available in the UK until 2001, when Warner Bros. released it on DVD to capitalise on the success of Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
Rankin/Bass productions had a pedigree in bringing traditional and familiar children's material to the small screen, with such titles as Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, so it was not unusual for them to take on such a project. However, a lot of the animation was sub contracted to Japanese studios, which was a standard practise at the time. This subsequently had a major impact on the production design and the aesthetics of the film. Rankin/Bass productions often included songs in their commercial output as it had proven to be a major selling point in the past. Naturally, original Tolkien's work with its abundance of songs and verse, lent itself to this very well. As a result, The Hobbit has a wealth of vocal tracks sung by popular folk singer, Glenn Yarbrough. They’re not to everyone’s taste but they do work, and some do stick quite faithfully to the source text.
The adaptation of the story is very simple. Some of the more complex plot details have been lost, such as the Arkenstone of Thrain, the skin-changer Beorn and the scheming master of Lake Town. Tolkien wrote this story for children and that is the way the film’s screenplay is pitched. The character designs range from the adequate to the bizarre. Gandalf is represented pretty much as you would expect, sticking to the usual old man with a pointy hat trope. Bilbo and the Dwarves reflect a more juvenile friendly interpretation. However, the Trolls and Goblins are not especially scary and lack any real sense of threat. It is in the design of the Elves that this production really fumbles the ball. This race of near perfect creatures with their angelic qualities, are simply ugly and emaciated. Someone definitely failed to understand the source text in this respect. Gollum is also poorly conceived and looks a little like a large Bullfrog. And all I'll say about the dragon Smaug, is that his feline quality is "unusual".
With these shortcomings, are there any positive attributes regarding this production? Well the minimalist water colour backgrounds work well, often drawing on Tolkien’s illustrations themselves. The voice casting has some strong performers, such as John Huston as Gandalf. However, some of the minor characters are played by well-known voice artists Don Messick and John Stephenson. As a result, you do feel that you’re watching an episode of Scooby Doo or The Arabian Nights at times. So where does this leave us? Well it's difficult to be objective, as any adaptation of Professor Tolkien's work tends to be over shadowed by the success of Peter Jackson's two trilogies, which have established an aesthetic standard. Therefore, this older version of The Hobbit suffers as a result, as it flies in the face of this. Overall, it’s a low budget, basic adaptation, with a variety of good and bad animation. It will probably find its most appreciative audience, among children, for whom it was intended.
Is Shared Fandom a Bridge to Reconciliation?
There are and always will be books that have a clear political agenda or make a very particular statement. Orwell’s 1984 springs to mind as an obvious example. Then there are also books that attract political interpretations by the nature of their plot or the subjects that they explore. Whether the author intended such a debate about the work or not, is a secondary issue. I have always taken Tolkien’s work at face value and to be what he stated they were. Epic and intricate faux histories, free from allegory. Furthermore, I appreciate that the moral position and themes of his work stem from the authors world view, personal experiences as well as the prevailing social dogma of the time. I find it interesting how his work attracts praise and adulation from a wide variety of groups. Catholics will naturally gravitate towards Tolkien’s writings due to his faith and that is the prism through which they will critically view his work. There are of course other examples about how The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings appeals to different people in different ways. It is a common aspect of fandom.
Fandom by Tom Preston
There are and always will be books that have a clear political agenda or make a very particular statement. Orwell’s 1984 springs to mind as an obvious example. Then there are also books that attract political interpretations by the nature of their plot or the subjects that they explore. Whether the author intended such a debate about the work or not, is a secondary issue. I have always taken Tolkien’s work at face value and to be what he stated they were. Epic and intricate faux histories, free from allegory. Furthermore, I appreciate that the moral position and themes of his work stem from the authors world view, personal experiences as well as the prevailing social dogma of the time. I find it interesting how his work attracts praise and adulation from a wide variety of groups. Catholics will naturally gravitate towards Tolkien’s writings due to his faith and that is the prism through which they will critically view his work. There are of course other examples about how The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings appeals to different people in different ways. This is a common aspect of fandom.
Bearing this in mind, it should not come as surprise to learn that Tolkien’s writing also has fans among the political class. The UK Conservative Party MEP Daniel Hannan is one who has written essays on his love of the Professor’s work and its literary merits. For example, Mr Hannan says “Here is a book that, as much as any I can think of, needs to be read aloud. Tolkien, like many Catholics of his generation, understood the power of incantation. He knew that—as, funnily enough, Pullman once put it—a fine poem fills your mouth with magic, as if you were chanting a spell”. Upon reading more of his analysis of Tolkien’s work, it becomes apparent that several of his political colleagues share his passion. It would seem many Conservative MPs find that Tolkien’s writing contains themes and concepts that they equate with their political ideology. Curiously enough what they see in the Professor’s work, I have never experienced. Again, they view it and quantify it in a different way to myself. This raises some interesting points about when you discover that you share a liking for something with a group you didn’t expect.
I suppose the optimistic way to interpret this situation is to focus on how fandom can build bridges and that there is now theoretically common ground between both parties concerned, despite their obvious differences. However, I feel that it’s a more complex situation than that. In this instance, I do not hold with a lot of the opinions and world view of this particular group of people. I think that many of the policies that the Conservative party have implemented since they came to power in 2010, have been harmful to both individuals and to society. Therefore, does simply having a shared passion for one specific thing bridge an otherwise, vast cultural, philosophical, political divide? I do not think that it does. If I were to meet Mr Hannan in a social situation, I would endeavour to be civil to him and focus on our common ground but ultimately our shared love for Tolkien is not a path to reconciliation. He would still remain at odds with my political sensibilities and continue to be a Conservative party member.
Reflecting upon this example and other comparable ones, certainly raises some interesting questions. It is a timely reminder that fandom does not give you any sense of ownership towards the object of your affection. Nor do you get to decide who can like or not like the thing in question, or who are “true fans”. The reality is that what appeals to you about the thing you love, is not necessarily the same for everyone and that we all interpret and respond to art as well as literature in a different way. Furthermore, when you do find out that you share a common love for something with those who are radically different to yourself, their presence should not spoil that very thing for you. Irrespective of the fans and their differences, the object of affection (in this case Tolkien’s writing), remains untouched. Overall, I guess this matter is a timely reminder about tolerance and sharing.
The analogy that springs to mind is one regarding religion, specifically Christianity. It is a faith that is rife with different denominations. All allegedly cleave to the same fundamental principles, yet interpret the scriptures differently. Is this situation about the differences between fan bases not dissimilar to the divide between Anglicans and fundamentalist Evangelicals? Also, history shows that many fine things have been liked, embraced or advocated by the morally questionable. So, it would appear that a shared love is not an assured ticket to harmony and reconciliation. The divided nature of the gaming community is an ongoing testament to that. The fallout over the recent casting of a female actor as Doctor Who is further proof that fandom is a broad but far from united church. As for Tolkien, I shall simply content myself with my own personal enjoyment of his work and leave others to do so in their own way. However, what I will not allow unchecked is for others to usurp his writing and claim it justifies something that it empirically does not.
Middle-earth and Non-Canonical Stories
Canon and lore are sacred cows to many fans. Any deviation from the clearly established is met with scepticism and on occasions outrage. It is the hill they are prepared to die, defending. In the past I have felt equally as strong about this matter as others but over the years I have become increasingly relaxed about such things. I guess once you realise that your childhood memories cannot be ruined, despite what some claim, then you cease to worry as much. If you do not like an adaptation, extrapolation or continuation beyond the canon of a particular IP, then you simply say, “it’s not for me” and move on. Not liking an idea or concept because it doesn’t conform your preconceptions and personal tastes does not give you the right to try and quash it. So overall, I don’t mind Tom Cruise being Jack Reacher. A female Doctor Who is fine with me. I even like the movie adaptation of Raise the Titanic.
Canon and lore are sacred cows to many fans. Any deviation from the clearly established is met with scepticism and on occasions outrage. It is the hill they are prepared to die, defending. In the past I have felt equally as strong about this matter as others but over the years I have become increasingly relaxed about such things. I guess once you realise that your childhood memories cannot be ruined, despite what some claim, then you cease to worry as much. If you do not like an adaptation, extrapolation or continuation beyond the canon of a particular IP, then you simply say, “it’s not for me” and move on. Not liking an idea or concept because it doesn’t conform your preconceptions and personal tastes does not give you the right to try and quash it. So overall, I don’t mind Tom Cruise being Jack Reacher. A female Doctor Who is fine with me. I even like the movie adaptation of Raise the Titanic.
However, as I mention, I wasn’t always this easy going. Tolkien’s body of work has long been something I enjoy and hold in high esteem. Thus, when both The Lord of the Rings: War in the North and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor were both announced respectively in 2011 and 2014, I was highly sceptical. Initial marketing showed a great deal of imagery devoid of any context. How could a Ranger be a Wraith and why were Eagles being used as mounts? Yet over time, as more information filtered through, it became clear that these were not total bastardisations of Tolkien’s work and I ended up buying and enjoying both games. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it was their innovative extrapolation of the lore that was one of the primary reasons I liked both titles so well.
What becomes apparent when playing The Lord of the Rings: War in the North and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is that although they are derived from Tolkien’s work, they are more of a continuation of Peter Jackson’s cinematic adaptations. They certainly have the same detailed aesthetic and action focus. However, the stories of both games have creative plots that are based heavily in Middle-earth lore. The Lord of the Rings makes it clear in the Appendices that the War of the Ring was fought on multiple fronts. Both Gondor and Erebor were assailed by Sauron’s forces and Dol Guldur was destroyed by the Elves. So, the threat of third front hailing from Angmar, as seen in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, is hardly a stretch either narratively or militarily. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is equally as creative exploring the fate of Celebrimbor. It delves in to many aspects of Tolkien’s work from the Blue Wizards, Saruman’s hunt for the ring, as well as the ongoing wane of Gondor.
These games along with Standing Stone Games’ Lord of the Rings Online succeed as they journey beyond established canon, due to the love and affection their writers have for the source material. Rather than abandon established ideas, these games develop them and frequently fill in the grey areas of known lore. When one considers the magnitude of Sauron’s empire, surely he would have a much wider chain of command, other than just the Nazgûl. Hence, I do not balk at the Black Númenórean Lieutenant named Agandaûr, or the three Black Captains; the Hammer of Sauron, the Tower of Sauron and their leader, the Black Hand of Sauron. All make sense and play a specific role in the Dark Lord’s military hierarchy. Furthermore, we have seen in the source text, that Orcs and Uruks have personalities, as well as aspirations and agendas of their own. Thus, I found the character Ratbag in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor very plausible as he tries to do a deal with Talion to establish his power base. Also, having made some checks, I cannot find any definitive proof that Smaug was the last Dragon in Middle-earth. So I have no major prejudice against Draigoch or Úrgost.
Sadly, where I am happy to accommodate the aforementioned games non-canonical narratives, I feel that I have to draw a line with fan fiction. The standard of knowledge, research and writing seen in LOTRO, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor simply isn’t present in grassroot fan generated content. Many fan writers just don’t have the necessary skills to forge a compelling narrative. It’s something you’ll see in many Star Wars and Star Trek fan films. They will often sport exemplary production values given the financial constraints but the dialogue is usually amateurish and embarrassing. Boundless love and enthusiasm are no substitute for genuine talent. Star Trek Continues transcends the traditional fan film label, due to the pedigree of those associated with the production. The Hunt for Gollum and Born of Hope don’t quite hit that level of professionalism, although they certainly raised the bar for Tolkien based fan movies.
It was recently announced that the three-way legal dispute between the Tolkien Estate, Middle-earth Enterprises and Warner Bros. has now been settled, which raises the question of further game development of Tolkien’s IP. Middle-earth: Shadow of War is due to be released on October and I am very interested as to where the story goes next. I see from trailers that Shelob is now part of the narrative, which is a bold move indeed. If this title is as equally successful as its predecessor then surely more games of this idiom will follow. Because of the specific terms of the licence, future material is somewhat tied to the scope just The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Yet because both of these books encompass a vast world of lore, much of which has never been fully explored or even fleshed out, we are potentially faced with a very creative opportunity. At present, due to the standard of what has already been released, I do not fear what may follow. Therefore, perhaps some fans should try and take a fresh look at this situation and revise their opinions regarding non-canonical stories.
The Silmarillion Movie
When Peter Jackson finished filming The Hobbit trilogy, there was some idle speculation by fans as to the possibility of a movie adaptation of The Silmarillion. It was meant mainly as a talking point, rather than a serious proposition and there certainly was an enthusiastic response from some quarters. Three years on, the fantasy genre is still a commercially successful genre both at Cinemas and on TV. Furthermore, production studios are regularly looking to existing literary properties that they can convert into viable long term franchises. Bearing all this in mind, is it possible that Tolkien’s complex mythopoeic work could be adapted for either the big or little screen?
When Peter Jackson finished filming The Hobbit trilogy, there was some idle speculation by fans as to the possibility of a movie adaptation of The Silmarillion. It was meant mainly as a talking point, rather than a serious proposition and there certainly was an enthusiastic response from some quarters. Three years on, the fantasy genre is still a commercially successful genre both at Cinemas and on TV. Furthermore, production studios are regularly looking to existing literary properties that they can convert into viable long term franchises. Bearing all this in mind, is it possible that Tolkien’s complex mythopoeic work could be adapted for either the big or little screen?
Although it is theoretically possible to make either a movie of TV show from the source material, the likelihood of such a project coming to pass is very remote. Hollywood studios are very risk averse, especially towards material that cannot be easily defined and pitched at the broadest demographic. Even if The Silmarillion were to be championed by a major director, there is no guarantee that such a project would be immediately green lit. Hollywood heavy weights such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese have fallen foul of this policy recently. However, if a Silmarillion adaptation could secure financing, let us consider some of the other potential obstacles that would have to be addressed before the project could move forward.
First, there is the fundamental issue of the rights to The Silmarillion, which are not included in those currently held by Middle-earth Enterprises. I think the Tolkien estate would move heaven and earth to block such a project from progressing, as Christopher Tolkien has made his views very clear on the existing movie adaptations of his father's work. He abhors what he sees as the Disneyfication of the source material. Therefore, this is an issue that cannot be addressed during his lifetime. Whether the heirs to the estate would think differently remains to be seen.
Then there is the source text of The Silmarillion itself, which would be would be extremely difficult to adapt and market to a mainstream audience. It would require considerable restructuring and frankly a lot of dumbing down to make an accessible narrative. It is episodic by nature with an excess of characters and explores a great deal of abstract concepts. There are certainly passages of the text that would make epic set pieces but overall the narrative does not support the traditional three act story arc that cinema prefers.
This then raises the question, rather than a series of movies, would a high budget cable show such as Game of Thrones, be a more suitable medium to showcase The Silmarillion. Either way, a live action adaptation would require a prodigious budget. Considering the philosophical and theological elements to the text, perhaps live action is not the best approach to adapting the work. Would the medium of animation be more appropriate? By this I do not mean mainstream CGI but something more traditional such as cel animation or perhaps some experimental stop motion method?
Then there is the risk that any adaptation may be usurped and extrapolated into something very different from Tolkien’s vision. Tolkien was a devout Catholic although this is not immediately obvious in his works. He also deplored the use of allegory as a literary device. There is a chance that whoever adapts The Silmarillion could colour it with their own personal religious, moral and philosophical baggage and make it into something that it is not. I would hate to see something as cerebral as this book, distilled into a clumsy and misplaced metaphor to be championed by the wrong sort of Christian institutions. The Silmarillion deserves better than that.
If we still consider such a project in movie terms, then it would require director of immense cinematic skill and vision. Peter Jackson, although visually talented, is not the film maker he was a decade or two ago. He is too big a name, too commercial and now appears to exhibit a degree of self-indulgence that often comes when directors become celebrities. Personally, I think his better work is now behind him. A true visionary would be required for The Silmarillion movie but these are a scarce commodity these days. Kubrick, Kurosawa and their like are long dead, so who exactly does that leave? Guillermo del Toro, Bong Joon-ho or Alfonso Cuarón?
As you can see, these are just a few potential problems that would plague such a project. Furthermore, it can be cogently argued that just because you can do something, it doesn't mean that you should. The Silmarillion may well be unfilmable in any meaningful way and to attempt to do so may well be disrespectful to the source text. Unfortunately, film makers and especially their financiers seldom understand such concepts and often end up debasing great literary works in pursuit of the lowest common denominator and box office gold. The Silmarillion was intended by its author to be a book and nothing more. Does it really need to exist in any other way?
The Songs of Middle-earth: Part One
Tolkien's use of song and verse are an integral part of his writings. I am not musically talented myself, nor am I a scholar of song structure but I appreciate how he uses them for plot exposition and character development. In The Lord of the Rings, the medium of song is also used as a means of conveying the enormity of Middle Earth and the wealth of history therein. They give us a sense of the realms lore and heritage, stretching back over millennia. The respective sophistication of each song also reflects the culture that created them. Songs from The Shire are rustic and quaint. The songs of Men are bombastic and bold. Whereas Elven music is often melancholy and complex.
Tolkien's use of song and verse are an integral part of his writings. I am not musically talented myself, nor am I a scholar of song structure but I appreciate how he uses them for plot exposition and character development. In The Lord of the Rings, the medium of song is also used as a means of conveying the enormity of Middle Earth and the wealth of history therein. They give us a sense of the realms lore and heritage, stretching back over millennia. The respective sophistication of each song also reflects the culture that created them. Songs from The Shire are rustic and quaint. The songs of Men are bombastic and bold. Whereas Elven music is often melancholy and complex.
Norse and Anglo-Saxon Mythology were immensely important and influential on Tolkien. Thus, many of his songs are in the idiom of Norse poetry. He often uses literary devices such as the pitch of repeating vowel sounds (assonance) as well as the resonance of repeating consonant sounds (both in alliteration and in consonance). Tolkien himself sanctioned composer Donald Swann (of Flanders and Swann fame) to set some of his work to music and it met with his approval. Yet there are no definitive musical versions. This leaves a great deal of scope for artists from all musical disciplines to interpret his work.
A Google search will provide you with a wealth of artists that have attempted to bring Tolkien’s songs to life. From Rick Wakeman, Daniel McCarthy to Sir Christopher Lee. I have selected a few of examples of these for your consideration. Some are the exact songs as they were written by the Professor himself, with accompanying music. Others have been cleverly adapted or abridged. I have even included some material that was simply inspired by Professor Tolkien's work.
The BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in 1981 was a milestone in radio drama. Composer Stephen Oliver made an immeasurable contribution to the production with his intelligent and musically literate expressions of Tolkien's written work. O Elbereth Gilthoniel is a paean in reverence of the star Queen. Oliver cleverly adapts the Sindarin text into a beautiful and expressive song, sung in the style of a madrigal. It is a bold interpretation yet it works superbly, reflecting the artistic dignity of the Elves.
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, sí nef aearon!
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
o menel palan-diriel,
le nallon sí di'nguruthos!
A tiro nin, Fanuilos!
O Elbereth Starkindler,
white-glittering, slanting down sparkling like a jewel,
the glory of the starry host!
Having gazed far away
from the tree-woven lands of Middle-earth,
to thee, Everwhite, I will sing,
on this side of the Sea, here on this side of the Ocean!
O Elbereth Starkindler,
from heaven gazing afar,
to thee I cry now beneath the shadow of death!
O look towards me, Everwhite!
Now this may be a controversial choice, coming from the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit. It is not a film held in high regard. In the Valley, Ha! Ha! written by Jules Bass and performed by Glenn Yarbrough is based upon the song the Elves sing as the Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo ride down into the Valley of Rivendell for the first time. The musical arrangement is very much a product of the seventies and the warbling voice of Mr. Yarbrough is not to everyone's liking. Yet it catches the light-hearted spirit of the source text very well and it is worryingly hummable. I have warmed to it in recent years and consider it a good example of less being more.
O! What are you doing,
And where are you going?
Your ponies need shoeing!
The River is flowing!
O! Tra-la-la-lally
Here down in the valley!
Ha ha!
O! Where are you going,
With beards all a-wagging?
No knowing, no knowing
What brings Mister Baggins,
And Balin and Dwalin
In June in the valley
Ha ha!
O! Will you be staying,
Or will you be flying?
Your ponies are straying!
The daylight is dying!
To fly would be folly,
To stay would be jolly!
O! Tril-lil-lil-lolly
Ha ha!
O! What are you doing,
And where are you going?
Your ponies need shoeing!
The River is flowing!
O! Tra-la-la-lally
Here down in the valley!
Ha ha!
Mithrandir by Leonard Rosenman with lyrics by Mark Fleischer, comes from the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings. The score by veteran composer Rosenman is not considered to be a particularly innovative piece of work but it is both functional and adequate. Director Ralph Bakshi found it clichéd and wanted a soundtrack by led Zeppelin. The song is somewhat traditional in its style, starting with elements of a holiday choir and ending in a Miklos Rozsa style biblical idiom. Yet despite its clumsy implementation the lyrics are a curiously accurate summation of Gandalf's character. The song is sung in Lothlorien as a lament to the Grey Pilgrim and is moving in a rather honest and simple fashion.
Let the night never cease to call you
Let the day nevermore be the same
Though you've gone where we cannot find you
In each heart you have set your name
Mithrandir far you wander
And long may your name be sung
Through kingdoms of starlight
And realms of the sun
Mithrandir though you're hidden
We're still guided by your light
You're walking beside us
A friend in the night
We were lost when the dark descended
And the light gathered into a storm
You appeared like a sunlit morning
At the winds of a world at war
Mithrandir far you wander
And long may your name be sung
Through kingdoms of starlight
And realms of the sun
Mithrandir though you're hidden
We're still guided by your light
You're walking beside us
A friend in the night
Mithrandir rising through the shadow
Like a star shining deep in its home
You will dwell in our hearts forever
Nevermore will we stand alone
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings Volume 1
In a fit of nostalgia I recently found myself perusing several retro gaming websites, pondering on some of the titles that I use to play on the Super Nintendo Entertainment. During the early nineties when this platform was my primary source of gaming I use to meticulously research new titles before purchasing. This was the pre-internet age and console cartridges came at a premium price, so you did not want to waste valuable money on a poor game. Magazines featuring previews and in-depth reviews were the main source of information. The other would be your local gaming boutique where you could hang out and discuss such matters with fellow gamers. Broadly this system worked and I enjoyed most of the games I played on the SNES.
In a fit of nostalgia I recently found myself perusing several retro gaming websites, pondering on some of the titles that I use to play on the Super Nintendo Entertainment. During the early nineties when this platform was my primary source of gaming I use to meticulously research new titles before purchasing. This was the pre-internet age and console cartridges came at a premium price, so you did not want to waste valuable money on a poor game. Magazines featuring previews and in-depth reviews were the main source of information. The other would be your local gaming boutique where you could hang out and discuss such matters with fellow gamers. Broadly this system worked and I enjoyed most of the games I played on the SNES.
However one title bypassed this screening process. It did so because I allowed my love of a particular intellectual property to cloud my vision. I refer to Interplay's J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Volume 1. This was an adventure game from 1994, loosely tied in with both the Tolkien’s books and the 1978 animated feature film. Certainly part of the games aesthetic was influenced by Ralph Bakshi’s movie and the game used the font and logo from that film. At the time my default sense of scepticism was not as finally honed as it is now, so I foolishly allowed my optimism and imagination to side step the facts. Thus I purchased the said game and in a short period of time discovered it was one of the worse titles based on a license created for the SNES.
As memory serves, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Volume 1 played more like a Zelda game and had very little to do with The Lord of the Rings in narrative terms. In fact the game showed a complete disregard to the lore. Within the confines of this game Bilbo gives the ring to Frodo at his leaving party and tells him to take it to Rivendell. Prior to the player actually embarking upon the said quest the game requires you to help Sam find his Gaffer's spectacles that have been lost in some local caves. These topographical features have fallen under the malevolent influence of Sauron (for some particular reason). Tedium ensues as the player pursues arbitrary task designed to extend a poorly designed games lifespan and plays through bland cookie cutter environments. I can distinctly remember naively hoping that matters would improve as the game progressed. Sadly they did not.
The game mechanics were very clunky, even by console standards of the console time. Characters would often get caught in the environment and the bulk of the quests were mainly of the "fetch multiple items" variety. The game graphics were far from original with many of the sprites and backgrounds sporting a generic look. Apart from some superficial attempts to make the main characters look vaguely like their counterparts from the movie, it was hard to see exactly how this was anything to do with Tolkien’s work. The game soundtrack was that tiresome Celtic style "Diddly Dee" nonsense that still seems to be de rigueur when developers try to interpret The Shire and other parts of Middle-earth. You could mash your controller endlessly in the vain hope of killing an enemy but more often than not, you’d simply die randomly for no discernible reason. The game also offered the facility to save access to completed levels via a serious of codes, but unfortunately unless you were a former employee of Bletchley Park, then the system was quite impenetrable.
Twenty two years on I still flinch while reflecting upon J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Volume 1. It was and remains an excruciating game and insulting franchise cash in. Needless to say there was never a Part 2 as I believe there was a universal consensus that this was a shoddy product. It’s a curious thing that the platform that spawned Super Mario Kart, which is considered the embodiment quality design, also produced such nonsense as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Volume 1. Now in the age of console emulators there may well be a few Tolkien enthusiasts that want to check this game out of some sort of idle curiosity. I would strongly advise them not to. A quick visit to You Tube will demonstrate the folly of such a notion.