How will Two Towers be edited?

[IronParrot]

If TT and RotK are split into two movies... then there's some big trouble ahead. Since a lot of the events run parallel to each other within TT itself (the separation between Books III and IV) but also because Book IV overlaps onto V entirely, how will Jackson edit this? Chronologically? That could pose another problem - part of the fun was seeing how the events overlapped for myself in the books, reading Book IV after III, and V after IV... hard to explain, but I think some of you know what I mean. Right?

[Fat middle]

I see what you mean. All we want the films to be as much faithful to the books as posible, but cinematographic language is not the same of literary language... So we should prepare ourselves to see a number of... yes, that terrible word changes. I hope Jackson can at least keep intact the core of the story and the characters.

[bmilder]

Usually when a book is adapted for the big screen, they completely re-write the plot. Luckily, I think PJ will keep most of the plot as we know it intact. I think he'll probably just go between the scenes. Going in the order of the book may be best. If he does, for example, all of Frodo and Sam's experiences and then concentrates on the other characters, the audience might forget about them. Getting slightly off-topic, in the animated movie, Gandalf's capture and escape from Saruman is shown, but in the books they only mention it. Things like that will probably be shown in the movie that were part of conversations in the story.

[IronParrot]

Maybe as a flashback?

[Elanor]

I don't think they will feel any obligation to keep everything in the right order, or even in the right book. After all, it was originally just one, and Tolkien didn't want to split it up. Probably the Frodo/Sam story will be on it's own, because it's so intense, but the other stories will overlap each other.

[Fat middle]

i wonder if we´ll see some of the riddles scene when Gandalf is telling Frodo the true story of Bilbo.

[Eruve]

You think PJ is keeping the plot as we know it intact??? Have you seen the changes they're making to give Arwen a bigger role? Sorry, I guess I'm a purist, but I think JRRT wrote a perfectly good story and I see no need to change things around to this extent. I'm very much against PCing things up to make a story supposedly more palatable to a modern audience (not just with LOTR but in general). -disgruntled

[bmilder]

Oh, I don't know. I haven't really been keeping up with the latest movie news. The problem with having flashbacks to The Hobbit is that I think they might make a separate Hobbit movie, so if the eventual Hobbit movie was different from the flashbacks, that might be weird.

[Darth Tater]

Way back when PJ did those interviews with AICN he said he's probably gonna have the books (meaning IV, V etc) overlapping so everything is, for the most part, in cronological order. He'll probably do the Saruman thing as flashbacks.

[IronParrot]

Idea! What if when Faramir tells of his meeting with Frodo and Sam in RotK, it flashes back to that? Do you guys think that would work?

[Elanor]

No, because it has so much impact (to me, anyway) when he comes in to his father's council, sees Pippin, and you know that he has met Frodo and Sam--the anticipation is good for drama.

[bmilder]

I know this is old, but I just finished reading LotR and this question bothered me too.

I think that he should mainly stick to the order of the book. I couldn't wait until Faramir met Pippin at Minas Tirith, since he had already met Frodo and Sam. I just loved getting to that part, I don't know why, but if we hadn't seen Frodo already that scene would be spoiled. Also in RotK, when the Mouth of Sauron shows Frodo's items, we haven't seen them yet in the movie so we don't know if he's dead (well, WE do, but the audience might not.) We feel the suspense and wonder what happened.

I think that in TTT there can maybe be one clip of Frodo and Sam, at least taming Smeagol during the first section but then have them not reappear until the second half when it concentrates on them.

[IronParrot]

Yeah... it's just that the general audience would be confused with having frequent travelling back and forward in time. Perhaps this could be pulled off with certain images or events that tie it all together (i.e. as in the book, when you know what time it is because of the Witch-King flying over to Gondor). You see, the sections aren't as distinct on film as they are in books where they are marked by chapter and part... unless you go for the style of The Sting which just wouldn't match LOTR...

[etherealunicorn]

I agree with bmilder's points on the anticipation that builds as a result of those scenes. They just won't work as well if the foreshadowing is changed. I like the scene where Faramir relates his adventures in Ithilien too. His mention of a prior meeting with hobbits drops like a small bomb into that room.
First and foremost, I sure hope that the changes that are made aren't being altered just for the sake of being PC, because that just ruins it all. I never thought that much at all of Tolkien's books was PC in the sense of today.

[Darth Tater]

In SW a number of stories that connect in the beginning and end are told, and GL makes it move smoothly. I'm sure PJ can do just as well.

[etherealunicorn]

I hope you are right Tater.
I am perfectly willing to wait and hope for the best but expect the worst, but I agree that it can be done. The question, really, is will it?
Oh God, I hope so!:) :) :) :) :) :) :)
I can't wait!