: But what I will never understand is why these bozos with their MBAs think that Arwen swinging a sword around will make money. The Lord of the Rings is the most popular book of this century. It doesn't need enhancement. How does anyone think that he or she can improve upon what Tolkien wrote, when his work has appealed to people across generations and countries?

And Ivory sells soap because they want us all to be clean. Of course they want to make money. Name one studio that doesn't. Name ONE business that doesn't want to make money. Name one PUBLISHER that doesn't want to make money. And yet there are plenty of products on the market that do deliver value for each dollar spent. The same with movies. Just because New Line would like to recoup its investment and make a profit, doesn't mean that every one associated with the project is trying to make a BAD film just to grab our bucks and piss us off at the same time. There have been (believe it or not) some excellent film adaptations made. Even WITH some changes NOT in the book. I'm a purist too, but I'm also a realist. Some aspects of writing don't translate well to film. The director has to find an alternative way to tell the story and convey what the writer wrote. Sometimes several characters are combined into one. Sometimes a male character in the book is made female in the film (ala The Andromeda Strain). I loved the Andromeda Strain when I first read it, and loved the film too. The movie was almost verbatum the book, except one of the doctors from the book became a woman, but so what?

Now I realize that we aren't talking about a mere cosmetic change in regard to Arwen. I really find it difficult to believe that Jackson, who says he's always loved the book, would make so drastic a departure from the main story. But at the same time I'm not sure I really want to see Arwen sittng around sewing a flag either, like some elven Scarlett O'Hara. And there is no proof yet that this so-called "casting-sheet" is even real, and if it is, it may not reflect the script, merely the "type" of characters they want. Or perhaps it's just trial balloon, purposely leaked by the studio to check reactions from the public.

Either way, we should make it clear to Jackson that there are certain lines he must not cross if he expects any patrons at the ticket booth on opening day - other than those who have never read the book. And isn't that the real crime? Millions of people who have never read LOTR will think they are seeing "the book". And many will decide from watching the film whether or not they might read it. It would be a shame if people were turned off from reading the real McCoy because the film was bad.