New Line news

[Melko Belcha]

http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1077156370

I was readying this about New Line trying to get the rights to The Hobbit. And I found this very distubing.

New Line says that if it can't do a deal with MGM, it may go back to the drawing board and either its own prequel filling in the period between "The Hobbit" and the first "Rings" book, or a sequel that follows on from "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." However, that option faces a number of potential complications, including the Tolkien family. While the family still benefits from sales of the books, they signed away their say on any films based on "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbit" when Tolkien sold the rights to MGM. But a new prequel or sequel could be another matter.

Starting from scratch with a new story also would involve extending Tolkien's fantasy world without the Tolkien vision, and his fans may object. "To take some elves and short guys with furry feet and invent new challenges for them that aren't in the source material ... would be a betrayal of Tolkien and Jackson's achievements," says Houghton Mifflin's Harper.

So are they saying that even if they don't get the rights that it dosn't matter because their going to film something anyways? This is to me a disrespect to Tolkien and the world he created. I would hate to see anyone, even Christopher Tolkien, try to write a sequel to LotR, even more if it's in the hands of Hollywood, a place famous for making sequels that don't even come close to the originals.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!

Considering that virtually everytime in the movie they strayed from the book they made it worse it's scary how bad such a concept could be. Especially when they tried to subsitute their words and ideas for Tolkien's. Let's hope it's just a bluff to get things moving on The Hobbit.

[Lalaith_Elf]

:eek: :mad:
No. They cannot do this. Now the LotR films I can accept. But if they dare attempt a prequel or sequel that has nothing to do with Tolkien's visions then I don't know what I'll do......

That is just so disrespectful to Tolkien.

"his fans may object"

May object! Of course they'll object..... They can't do this. And I hope your right Tuor... God I hope your right!

[Lizra]

Wouldn't a prequel or sequel pretty much have lots in common with Tolkien's vision? It would have to! Anyway, while a bit leery, I also find this exciting. I mean, if I attempted to do a prequel or sequel, it would be a pretty cool thing :D (really! )....and I'm not that knowledgable about films! There's lots of potential here, if done up well! ;)

[Nurvingiel]

"To take some elves and short guys with furry feet and invent new challenges for them that aren't in the source material ... would be a betrayal of Tolkien and Jackson's achievements," says Houghton Mifflin's Harper.
He echoes my biggest fear. I don't think they would be allowed to randomly make up a new movie.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

One way they might get around above problems could be to base a story on Aragorn's early meetings with Arwen, adventures in the east, and with Gondor and Rohan (I forget his aliases there).
Could be interesting, especially relations with young Denethor, if they hadn't messed up Denethor so much in the last movie.
Also, Gollum's "adventures" could be interwoven.
Someone really having a feel for LOTR and Middle-earth might do it, but I have strong doubts about PJ and Co.'s scriptwriting abilities.

[Lizra]

I guess I'm imagining all the great possibilities...not the stinkers. ;)

[Dúnedain]

I think you guys should all just calm down and not get so worked up over rumors...

[brownjenkins]

if they do own the rights to LoTR it is conceivable that they could do a prequel based upon the tale of the years... some expansion of the forging of the ring and the war of the last alliance... of course they would run into trouble if they brought in info that was only mentioned in the silmarillion

if it was good i'd enjoy it... if not, i wouldn't watch it again... like fan fiction, i don't see any reason why it should be seen as disrespectful

[Bombadillo]

WELL THAT'S DOWNRIGHT BLASPHEMOUS!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: For PJ's own sake, this had better be a low-down publicity stunt by New Line to turn Tolkienites against MGM and therefore obtain rites to The Hobbit movie!! Because if it's not, someone will truly assassinate PJ within a week, i'm sure of it, whether he has control over the companies or not; eveyone already wants him dead. If they write their own Tolkien somebody's finally gonna carry it out and spear him through the fat gut.

*shudder* That makes me sick!

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by Bombadillo
WELL THAT'S DOWNRIGHT BLASPHEMOUS!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: For PJ's own sake, this had better be a low-down publicity stunt by New Line to turn Tolkienites against MGM and therefore obtain rites to The Hobbit movie!! Because if it's not, someone will truly assassinate PJ within a week, i'm sure of it, whether he has control over the companies or not; eveyone already wants him dead. If they write their own Tolkien somebody's finally gonna carry it out and spear him through the fat gut.

*shudder* That makes me sick!

Everyone wants him dead? Then why did the trilogy make over $3 Billion Dollars? :rolleyes:

[Mrs Maggot]

Well i don't particularly like this idea at all… I think it's worth them waiting a bit instead of jumping in to something. the Hobbit is definitely the first thing hey should make into a movie, and then the Silamrillion if they were going to do anything. I think they need to think about it a lot more instead of just being blinded by the success of LotR into making something second-rate just to sell more tickets.

[Bombadillo]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
Everyone wants him dead? Then why did the trilogy make over $3 Billion Dollars? :rolleyes: Grrrr... generally, a lot of people.

Originally posted by Mrs Maggot
Well i don't particularly like this idea at all… I think it's worth them waiting a bit instead of jumping in to something. the Hobbit is definitely the first thing hey should make into a movie, and then the Silamrillion if they were going to do anything. I think they need to think about it a lot more instead of just being blinded by the success of LotR into making something second-rate just to sell more tickets. Definately, and it probably won't be so attractive anyway, even to non-readers. There's still the matter of whether or not Sir Ian and Ian Holm will agree to making them, which I also doubt. Not to mention PJ would be going against everything he's ever said about sticking as close as possible to the books. He'd never be able to deny his fraudulece ever again, so he'd never agree to it either.

[Dúnedain]

I really don't think PJ would want to create a completely new story, merely out of respect for Tolkien. If you watch or read any of PJ's interviews, he always speaks highly of him and always calls him "Professor Tolkien". I think this is NewLine's campaign and idea, if it's not a completely false rumor to begin with and I doubt PJ has any involvement in these statements...

[Aragorn_iz_cool]

Originally posted by Tuor of Gondolin
One way they might get around above problems could be to base a story on Aragorn's early meetings with Arwen, adventures in the east, and with Gondor and Rohan (I forget his aliases there).
Could be interesting, especially relations with young Denethor, if they hadn't messed up Denethor so much in the last movie.
Also, Gollum's "adventures" could be interwoven.
Someone really having a feel for LOTR and Middle-earth might do it, but I have strong doubts about PJ and Co.'s scriptwriting abilities.

That would be really neat if they could pull it off.

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by Tuor of Gondolin
One way they might get around above problems could be to base a story on Aragorn's early meetings with Arwen, adventures in the east, and with Gondor and Rohan (I forget his aliases there).
Could be interesting, especially relations with young Denethor, if they hadn't messed up Denethor so much in the last movie.
Also, Gollum's "adventures" could be interwoven.
Someone really having a feel for LOTR and Middle-earth might do it, but I have strong doubts about PJ and Co.'s scriptwriting abilities.

Another one could be them completing "The New Shadow" that Tolkien tried writing as the sequel to LotR's and only wrote about 10 pages, I know after reading that, it was like a super cliffhanger, as Tolkien was just about to tell us something and the story just stopped!! :(

[Elvellon]

If they did a prequel (but not the Hobbit) or a sequel I doubt they would take much attention to what Tolkien wrote. As it is, in the two movies I did saw they took great liberties, far more than simply ‘the necessary,’ so anything would be possible, I can see it now, Minnie Baggins and the seven Jolly Dwarves High Adventure Musical:rolleyes:

[mithrand1r]

Originally posted by Elvellon
If they did a prequel (but not the Hobbit) or a sequel I doubt they would take much attention to what Tolkien wrote. As it is, in the two movies I did saw they took great liberties, far more than simply ‘the necessary,’ so anything would be possible, I can see it now, Minnie Baggins and the seven Jolly Dwarves High Adventure Musical:rolleyes:

:D

Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho!

:p

It should be easier for someone to bring the Hobbit to screen with little, if any, of the book being altered due to the Hobbit being a shorter and simplier story than LOTR.

If one looked at the RB cartoon version, I think it did a decent job of adapting the Hobbit to the silver screen. (Not perfect, but a decent job, IMO)

[barrelrider110]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
I think you guys should all just calm down and not get so worked up over rumors...

I agree with Dúnedain. It's just posturing for negotiations. At worst, it's a highly unlikely scenario. I don't think it's going fool the suits at MGM either. There's too much at stake.

[Troll]

Was not there another movie (not by New Line) called Ancanar that was sttled in Tolkiens world?

I didn't hear they had problems with the Tolkiens when filming it...

[Khamûl]

http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10062

and

http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3941

[Fat middle]

O thank you very much Khamul! :)

Iwas just going to look for some threads about it. You're not that slacker... :p

[Grey_Wolf]

It doesn't matter what we (the fans) think about sequels and prequels, they're gonna do it anyway. And there are loads of people who haven't read the books and whose impression of the LOTR is already ruined and by continuing the story with new invented aspects of it there'll be even more people who think they know LOTR and yet more people whose impression will be ruined because when they read the books they will see what ruinous things have done to the story.

*sorry, I'm rambling a bit (comes from not thinking that the movies were all that great)*

[AACHOO]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040306/D814VP480.html

[Lalaith]

I wonder what they are thinking when planning such a thing.
No real fan would ever go and see this movie.

(hmm, maybe some stupid persons who haven't read the book ... hmm)

[Telcontar]

If it's not the Hobbit or another story that Tolkien wrote, forget it.

The movie studios would bank it on the LOTR-movie fans not knowing the difference and would go see it anyway.

We can just hope that wouldn't be the case. But these guys will do anything for a profit.