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We proudly bring you the Lord of the Rings Movie Forum, a home away from home for fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies around the world. |
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Operated by |
We proudly bring you the Lord of the Rings Movie Forum, a home away from home for fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies around the world. |
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When publication of The Lord of the Rings began in 1954, no one could have imagined the profound effect the three-volume book would have upon modern popular culture. In 1955 and 1956, the British Broadcasting Corporation produced its first radio adaptation of the story, drawing upon author J.R.R. Tolkien himself as an occasional if bemused and somewhat reluctant consultant. When the first part of the story (The Fellowship of the Ring) was broadcast in 1955, Tolkien wrote: "I think the book quite unsuitable for 'dramatization', and have not enjoyed the broadcasts -- though they have improved." Tolkien corresponded with Terence Tiller, the producer of the radio series, in 1956 as Tiller prepared six episodes to cover The Two Towers and The Return of the King. In November, Tolkien wrote: "Here is a book very unsuitable for dramatic or semi-dramatic representation. If that is attempted, it needs more space, a lot of space."
Tolkien's adaptation woes did not end there. By September 1957, Tolkien wrote to his son, Christopher, about "a back-wash from the [Fifteenth World Science Fiction] Convention [at which Tolkien had been a guest and award-recipient] was a visit from an American film-agent ... who drove out all the way in a taxi from London to see me.... But this Mr. Ackerman [Forrest J. Ackerman, who has claimed to be the world's leading fan of science fiction and fantasy] brought some really astonishing good pictures ... and some remarkable colour photographs. They have apparently toured America shooting mountain and desert scenes that seem to fit the story. The Story Line or Scenario was, however, on a lower level. In fact bad. But it looks as if business might be done. Stanley U[nwin, Tolkien's publisher] & I have agreed on our policy: Art or Cash. Either very profitable terms indeed; or absolute author's veto on objectionable features or aberrations." Ackerman's project went so far as to include presentation of a screenplay by Morton Grady Zimmerman to Tolkien for comment. Tolkien ripped it to shreds. Judging from Tolkien's comments and complaints in Letter 207 (written in April 1958), the screenplay was even worse than the travesty Ralph Bakshi eventually brought to the big screen. The Ackerman adaptation never went further. However, by 1967, Tolkien needed money, and he reportedly sold the film and merchandising rights for both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to United Artists, who let the rights languish for ten years before Saul Zaentz acquired them. Tolkien died in 1973, before he could see anyone produce another major dramatization of his books. After forming Tolkien Enterprises (a division of the Saul Zaentz Company) to administer the film and merchandising rights, Zaentz commissioned Ralph Bakshi to produce a two-part animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. But he also licensed a television project to Rankin/Bass, producers of popular American Saturday morning action/adventure television programming. The Rankin/Bass adaptation of "The Hobbit" was broadcast on American network television for the first time in 1977 (the same year in which Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion). "The Lord of the Rings, Part One" was released to theaters in 1978. It bombed, bombed badly, and the second part was never produced. While animated, the movie was one of Bakshi's infamously roto-scoped movies, which used live actors to carry the action. Animators painted over the actors to give them greater depth and character (unfortunately, it did not make up for the bad acting). One of the few stars of the movie who went on to achieve any sort of success was Anthony Daniels, who played Legolas. He is better known to millions of Star Wars fans world-wide as C3-P0. Another actor, John Hurt, who played Aragorn, is known to Harry Potter fans as Mr. Ollivander in the movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone". Perhaps when he drew Anduril for the first time, someone in the background said, "Well, go on, give it a wave!" Perhaps not. After Bakshi's disastrous attempt to bring The Lord of the Rings to cinematic success, the story languished. The BBC and the American Mind's Eye Theater both produced new radio adaptations of the story, and they have long enjoyed after-market success via cassette and CD-ROM sales (although most fans prefer the BBC adaptation over the American one). The BBC hired Ian Holm to play Frodo Baggins. Holm later played Bilbo in Peter Jackson's movies. Another BBC actor was Michael Hordern, who played Gandalf. His voice can be heard in the role of Frith in the classic animated film, "Watership Down" (itself an adaptation of a popular fantasy novel) and as the voice of the Wise Man in the David Bowie fantasy film, "Labyrinth" (which also starred a very young Jennifer Connelly). Hodern's film career began with a role as an uncredited Norman thug in the Errol Flynn classic, "The Adventures of Robin Hood". But for many years, no one dared touch The Lord of the Rings. Film technology, which achieved amazing results with movies like the Star Wars trilogy, just wasn't up to the task of bringing Tolkien's vision to the big screen. However, by 1997, Peter Jackson was ready and willing to take a serious stab at the project. Rumors flew around the world and by February 1998 Jackson was cautioning fans not to be too eager. His first approach to the project eventually folded, when Miramax Films insisted that the movie be done as a single, two-hour film. Jackson wanted to produce at least two movies, and favored three. In August, Jackson concluded a deal with New Line Cinema to bring the story to the big screen as three films. LoTRmania, which had been bubbling for months, began to froth and boil over into a worldwide fan movement. Although the Jackson movies are not very faithful to the details of Tolkien's book, the essential conflict and the core adventure of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring were retained. Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" broke new cinematic ground with innovations in computer technology. Jackson's desire to be as faithful to Tolkien's imagination as possible was so strong that he sought out Tolkien experts around the world to help in the project. Not all agreed to assist, but some very well-known people including Professor Tom Shippey, John Howe, and Alan Lee joined in. So what are you waiting for?
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The Fairy Tales of J.R.R. Tolkien, at Xenite.Org