# Should they never remake the LOTR trilogy?



## lavaplanetrateris (Dec 23, 2021)

I personally love the LOTR trilogy and think Peter Jackson did a remarkable job with the movies. I also admit I imagined things differently while reading the books, but that’s the beauty of interpretation - everyone has a different imagination. However, as time goes by, I find myself worrying that another aspiring young director or studio head might come along, scrap the original movies and start over.

Before I get crucified, I’m not necessarily saying this is guaranteed to be a bad thing. God knows there are countless examples of remakes being several times better than original movies. However, book adaptations are a different animal. More to the point, Hollywood has a tendency to artificially make things bigger, louder, and more vulgar for the sake of sales and box office profits. In my opinion, this isn’t always ideal.

Moreover, American culture in general has that effect on pretty much everything it touches. Take gambling and casinos as an example like this one https://www.wild-card-city.com/bonuses/ . They’ve built a multi-billion-dollar industry out of an entire city, and countless other parts of the world are now following the same recipe. What I’m saying is, I fear that sales and money might destroy the essence of Tolkien’s works. Does anyone feel the same way?


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## Ealdwyn (Dec 23, 2021)

lavaplanetrateris said:


> What I’m saying is, I fear that sales and money might destroy the essence of Tolkien’s works. Does anyone feel the same way?


It already has


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## Erestor Arcamen (Dec 23, 2021)

Ealdwyn said:


> It already has


Yup


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## Halasían (Dec 23, 2021)

They should do another take of The Lord of the Rings. Maybe with a screenplay that doesn't 'crucify' the actual core of the book's story, and that of some of the characters. Peter Jackson's high-budget fan-fiction was ok for what it was back at the turn of the century, but it was his vision of what the story looked like, which meant half the kingdom didn't exist, rangers can be caught in the wild by cute elves, turbo-monster Galadriel, a demented Denethor, an emasculated Faramir, and a magical green-ant army of dead. There is some serious room for improvement, and I look forward to others trying their hand at presenting a proper story of it.

(Cue all the Peter Jackson-is-a-Middle-Earth-god worshippers below)
🤣🤣🤣


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## 1stvermont (Dec 24, 2021)

lavaplanetrateris said:


> I personally love the LOTR trilogy and think Peter Jackson did a remarkable job with the movies. I also admit I imagined things differently while reading the books, but that’s the beauty of interpretation - everyone has a different imagination. However, as time goes by, I find myself worrying that another aspiring young director or studio head might come along, scrap the original movies and start over.
> 
> Before I get crucified, I’m not necessarily saying this is guaranteed to be a bad thing. God knows there are countless examples of remakes being several times better than original movies. However, book adaptations are a different animal. More to the point, Hollywood has a tendency to artificially make things bigger, louder, and more vulgar for the sake of sales and box office profits. In my opinion, this isn’t always ideal.
> 
> Moreover, American culture in general has that effect on pretty much everything it touches. Take gambling and casinos as an example. They’ve built a multi-billion-dollar industry out of an entire city, and countless other parts of the world are now following the same recipe. What I’m saying is, I fear that sales and money might destroy the essence of Tolkien’s works. Does anyone feel the same way?



Sounds like we would agree on most things. I think Jackson had such an impact that no one is going to try and remake LOTR anytime soon. I think I share your fears that if another is done it will be ruined, at least in society's current spirit. We should be glad it was done before total madness took over. The corperations that could afford the rights to do the movies are the same that would destroy Tolkien. I think the Amazon show will prove me corect. 


I always thought it should have been a TV show rather than a movie. I think it could be more faithful to the books that way.


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## Yanus (Jan 22, 2022)

I seriously doubt they can remake LOTR trilogy, that would have the impact of the original one, for several reasons. First one is that CGI is used more widely, rather than practical effects. Practical effects and real "things" are still easily recognizable vs. CGI, and no matter how they make is, those little "imperfections" are perceived subliminally as more real.

Another is that there will hardly be another Peter Jackson, that is not only a big LOTR fan, but he also gathered around him like-minded people, all huge Tolkien fans. If you have seen extended materials from filming, you see that the actors, the production and even the extras were not just team, they were a family. This translated to an art piece, that is not just a movie, but a work of love and dedication. Two guys sitting in same room for a year, making rivets for chainmail. The Elves that were Tolkien fans and dreamed to play Elves. A girl that was thrilled to play horse ass on mountain scene. Really, you cannot beat that.

There were certain liberties that had to be taken, to make it work on the big screen. I like Tom Bombadil in books, but I totally understand why he did not make it to movies. His part does not advance the story, does not develop characters. I'm a bit less ok with Arwen wandering in the wilds to help Aragorn and Hobbits, but I can understand that they needed to show strong female character that LOTR lacks in the first book, and to show what is at stake for Aragorn. I consider books to be original and canon, but I can also understand the challenges movie makers had to face.

BTW, if you look at Ralph's Bakshi's version, you realize some scenes are taken verbatim from his movie. Good for Peter Jackson that movie was not more widely known.

Last thing is that there will never be version with more impact simply because it will not be the first. LOTR movies renewed interest in professor’s Tolkien’s work, and any remake can hardly be made that would not draw from Peter Jackson’s work. It just can’t be made better, because large portion would have to be the same.


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## Aldarion (Jan 24, 2022)

Halasían said:


> They should do another take of The Lord of the Rings. Maybe with a screenplay that doesn't 'crucify' the actual core of the book's story, and that of some of the characters.


Impossible. If you look at modern sequels and/or remakes, it is clear that Hollywood no longer cares about the soul of any work. More importantly, Jackson, for all his flaws, loved Lord of the Rings and also had made good war movies before, so he had the experience needed to tell Tolkien's story as well. And most of the cast were also genuine Tolkien fans, especially Christopher Lee.

Such a combination was once-an-existence thing. It is not something modern Hollywood can replicate even if it wanted to.


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## Halasían (Jan 24, 2022)

Aldarion said:


> Impossible. If you look at modern sequels and/or remakes, it is clear that Hollywood no longer cares about the soul of any work. More importantly, Jackson, for all his flaws, loved Lord of the Rings and also had made good war movies before, so he had the experience needed to tell Tolkien's story as well. And most of the cast were also genuine Tolkien fans, especially Christopher Lee.
> 
> Such a combination was once-an-existence thing. It is not something modern Hollywood can replicate even if it wanted to.


All Hail Peter Jackson! 🤣


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## CirdanLinweilin (Jan 24, 2022)

Maybe the original actor they got for Aragorn, before Viggo can play him!

Okay it's a joke but I had to do it.

CL


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## Ealdwyn (Jan 25, 2022)

I agree that PJ made a trilogy of fantastic fantasy films. But he did not make LotR.


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## Shadow (Jan 30, 2022)

Let it be. The expansion of the universe is happening in other areas, namely the TV Show and The War of Rohirrim.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jan 30, 2022)

For or against, the rights are a multimillion dollar property, over which the Tolkien Estate has no control, unless I'm mistaken, so you can bet on an eventual remake. Especially if the Amazon series pays off. When it happens is another question.


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## Olorgando (Jan 30, 2022)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> For or against, the rights are a multimillion dollar property, over which the Tolkien Estate have no control, unless I'm mistaken, so you can bet on an eventual remake. Especially if the Amazon series pays off. When it happens is another question.


Well, if you exclude "Robin Hood" and "Tarzan" (and maybe "Zorro" and "Hercules"), the time between remakes seems to me to have been about a generation. But with attention spans shriveling to the vanishing point (has that been remade? 🤔 ) intervals could shrink ... 🙄


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jan 30, 2022)

Olorgando said:


> (has that been remade? 🤔 )


Yep.





It could be argued that a number of movie "sequels" or "prequels" or "alt-timeline" versions-- Spiderman comes to mind -- are really remakes.


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## Olorgando (Jan 30, 2022)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> It could be argued that a number of movie "sequels" or "prequels" or "alt-timeline" versions-- Spiderman comes to mind -- are really remakes.


I didn't specifically mention it, but for me *all* comic book derivatives of the superhero genre are remakes, be they Marvel or DC.

And isn't it amazing how quickly NYC gets rebuilt for next year's mayhem?


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jan 30, 2022)

I'd say it's a competition with Tokyo. 😄


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## Olorgando (Jan 30, 2022)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> I'd say it's a competition with Tokyo. 😄


Nah. Even Godzilla got bored and headed over to the Big Apple in 1998 - directed and co-written by Germany's Roland Emmerich, to boot. 😁


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jan 30, 2022)

And boy, did that one bomb. 😆


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## CirdanLinweilin (Jan 30, 2022)

Olorgando said:


> Well, if you exclude "Robin Hood" and "Tarzan" (and maybe "Zorro" and "Hercules"), the time between remakes seems to me to have been about a generation. But with attention spans shriveling to the vanishing point (has that been remade? 🤔 ) intervals could shrink ... 🙄


What about Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne? Rebooted more than a PC Game.

CL


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## Halasían (Jan 30, 2022)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> For or against, the rights are a multimillion dollar property, over which the Tolkien Estate has no control, unless I'm mistaken, so you can bet on an eventual remake. Especially if the Amazon series pays off. When it happens is another question.



Being *Amazon bought MGM* which owns Saul Zaentz's company that holds the1969 United Artists Tolkien rights, I guess the possibility is there for a remake. *There was this bit about it last May*.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jan 30, 2022)

Yeah, I'd say that makes it definite.


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## Olorgando (Jan 30, 2022)

CirdanLinweilin said:


> What about Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne? Rebooted more than a PC Game.
> CL


Erm ...


Olorgando said:


> I didn't specifically mention it, but for me *all* comic book derivatives of the superhero genre are remakes, be they Marvel or DC.


And you even gave it a rotflmao "Like" smiley ... 🤨😜


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## Olorgando (Jan 31, 2022)

Olorgando said:


> Nah. Even Godzilla got bored and headed over to the Big Apple in 1998 - directed and co-written by Germany's Roland Emmerich, to boot. 😁





Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> And boy, did that one bomb. 😆


It performed "below expectations" (*whose???*), but turned a profit world-wide. Business outside the US _(and Canada???)_ was about 85% higher than in the US _(and Canada???)_, or 65% of total.

_(statistics nut alert!)_

What were the comparable figures for PJ's six M-e films, "other countries" as a percentage of total? It was about 65% of 379 million U$ for Godzilla '98.

FotR about 65% of about 898 mU$
TT about 64% of about 948 mU$
RotK about 67% of about 1,146 mU$

UP about 70% of about 1,017 mU$
Dos about 73% of about 959 mU$
BoFA about 73.5% of about 962 mU$

By this small, non-representative sample, it does look like the US market is becoming less and less relevant ... 🤨


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