The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

[grumbler]

I was talking about the volume Silmarillion, not Quenta Silmarillion in particular. Most of the history of the second age and Numenor are contained in the volume Silmarillion, to which the series producers have no rights and probably very limited access to use through the Tolkien estate.

Ah, so we know for sure that when the producers allegedly said they did not have the rights to the Silmarillion, they were talking about the volume and not the book that was published in that volume?

It would make no sense for Amazon to not buy the rights to use the material relevant to their story.  And it would make no sense for the Tolkien estate to sell the rights to make a show based on the Second Age and then not provide the rights needed to make such a show.

Though, in truth, the intellectual property the Tolkien estate has the rights to amount to people and place names and general story outlines.  Tolkien himself changed the story any number of times.

[Threviel]

Investigated it and it seems like they possibly have some rights to Akallabeth and Quenta Silmarillion. The trailers have shown Tirion and the two trees and there seems to be some kind of deal with the estate. Perhaps Tirion and the trees are mentioned in LotR on the other hand.

They are not allowed to contradict the stuff they have rights to.

Everything is unclear to say the least. We'll have to wait and see.

[Josquius]

Judging by comments elsewhere I do see that separating the "it's not true to the books!" complaints from "why are there black people in it?" will not be easy.

Way too many who clearly hadn't even read LOTR never mind the more esoteric stuff rattling off the same arguments at how a beardless dwarf woman was wrong- which a bit of research into their post history confirms they're just upset about dark skin.

This is increasingly a big problem in media in general I find. People criticising stuff for nonsense reasons serves to mask genuine criticism.

[Threviel]

The first 10 minutes of the opening episode set a fantastically busy, robust pace and tone. It begins calmly and beautifully, with a very young Galadriel sailing a paper ship in "the undying lands" of Valinor. Then it puts its foot down sharply, racing through centuries of history and war and, crucially, the overthrow of the dark lord Morgoth.

So that's that then, they have some rights to Silmarillion.

But these are quibbles and, in the end, the spectacle wins. This is enormously enjoyable TV, a cinematic feast.

Sounds like Jackson's LotR, so it might be good then.

[Valmy]

Ultimately, if it is good nobody is going to worry too much about book fidelity or black dwarves. Unlike LOTR, the other stuff is not widely read and not that many people are that concerned about the pigmentation of fictional races.

[crazy canuck]

OK, that was actually pretty good.

[mongers]

OK, that was actually pretty good.

Yes I was pleasantly surprised, but then again I was never a great Tolkien nerd/loyalist.

[viper37]

and not that many people are that concerned about the pigmentation of fictional races.

yes, unlike Star Wars, apparently. 

[celedhring]

Watched the first two eps. The show succeeds whenever doesn't try to force the whole epic thing and kinda stays with the world and characters. Like the segments with the harfoots and the dwarves. The elves are too stuck up 

[Darth Wagtaros]

Maybe they should have just made the Elven equivalent of Grunts then.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Rivendell : The Lower Decks

[celedhring]

Rivendell : The Lower Decks

I'm willing to bet that if this thing is successful we'll get a million weird spinoffs.

[Valmy]

and not that many people are that concerned about the pigmentation of fictional races.

yes, unlike Star Wars, apparently. 

They can be blue or whatever in Star Wars 

[Valmy]

OK, that was actually pretty good.

Really? Awesome then.

Is this the year of the fantasy show's big comeback after the end of GoT? Are expectations being exceeded? I sure hope so.

I will watch this and House of the Dragon this labor day weekend to salute the brave union leaders of the past.

[Tamas]

Watched first episode. Compared to my zero expectations, its not bad at all.