WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! My fav author and fav movies ever!!!!!!!!! I'd heard rumors years ago about the Hobbit. The Similarion was my first Tolkien book...the beginning of addiction. >grins<

well the first movie will be the hobbit, the second will be the events between the hobbit and the lord of the rings.

Hopefully they show Arwen and Aragorn meeting. I totally want to see a cool version of the battle of five armies...I remember the cartoon one and it just never matched what was in my head

The Hobbit I can understand, but is the "filler" really needed?

See, it isn't filler. The story between the hobbit and lord of the rings is written with detail by tolkien; just not in the novel form that the hobbit and the LOTR are written.

And I'd like to see it; I've read about everything related to the Lord of the Rings series, so I think it is uber cool.

And, to answer your question, yes..yes it is needed

I didn't know he made stuff in between the books!  It might be worth seeing. 

Wait...what do you mean not in novel form?  Did he still make the dialog, or just a chain of events?

More like a chain of events, a history.

Click here to read a quick and dirty synopsis.

That has a lot of the events between the books written in to it.

So the filler is just going to be mostly about Saruman's corruption and the return of the Dark Lord?

And setting up the cast for the beginning of the Lord of the Rings.

I'd still watch it

Yeah, I'll probably watch it too.

Will they have the same actors?

I know the men that played Gandalf and Gollum are back, I can't vouch for the rest at the moment. I think it would be stupid of them not to come back..

However, I'm not sure the guy that played Bilbo should play him again..He is an awesome actor but Bilbo is much younger, more the age of Frodo in the Lord of the Rings.

Yeah, they could use a new Bilbo

I can, pulling it from the appendices and the simillarion. There is a ton of info about the between one.

Then again I"m one of those that loved most of the changes made in the first trilogy.

I was very skeptical of the first 3...so I'm just going to hope it turns out well.

It has the history between the hobbit and the lord of the rings; there was at least one war and it is where Gandalf and Aragorn start looking for gollum; where Aragorn and Arwen meet, etc.  It has been awhile since I read it, but I know it does talk about the history between the books.  Plus you can show Bilbo's growing dissatisfaction with his life, leading to his eventual departing of the shire.

I actually liked the changes in both the characters myself.   I always thought Faramir should've been a lot more broken up by the things his family went through.

Then again I can understand those who didn't like it.

I actually like how they changed both and I can see how they could go in to way more detail about Arwen and Aragorn.   I know I could write a prequel to the lord of the rings with the information given and do a good job of it.

Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of Tolkien's writing style.  Probably up set a lot of people if I wrote it, heh.

One thing we do agree on: Eowyn is my favorite character as well.

From the beginning...I read through the simillarion and things just don't go right from the get go.

Awesome read; even if it is a bit dry in places.  I'd love to see some movies made of those early times...

i love the Sim.  but it is not ready for the movies i don't think.  add to the fact that most of the action takes place over thousands of years and it makes it tougher

Well I think I could write a filmable script out of it..well several scripts. I've thought about it before, how to get that book to the silver screen.

Of course, part of it was already filmed...

The beginning would be the hardest, I think. The first section.

You know...I want to write a fantasy series that isn't the "end of a great era or age." It seems that so many of them are influenced or directly rip off tolkien and you always see an age that is ending.

I want to write one where it is just beginning heh.

Well I find that most modern fantasy are influenced by two different types of fantasy: The Epic Fanrtasy (Like Tolkien wrote) or the darker type of fantasy (like. The dying earth series by Jack Vance. Believe it or not Dungeons and Dragons mostly resembles the ideas from the Dying Earth series, more then The Lord of the Rings.) Or a mix...

But there are exceptions.  The Narnia books take a different slant on the fantasy genre then Tolkien wrote, although I know Lewis and Tolkien probably discussed it at great length.  It seems Tolkien wasn't the most fond of Lewis' Children's literature..heh.

And I like beginnings, middles, and ends as well..but it seems there are way to many ends and not enought beginnings.  At least in the fiction that I've read and I Know I haven't read them all.

One interesting non tolkienesque fantasy series that just came to mind is THe Elric Saga by Mike Moorcock.  Very sad books...

Well Tolkien and Lewis were good friends, yes, but Tolkien didn't much care for the Narnia books. (Click here to see a google search on the subject) Plus I think Lewis and Tolkien were growing a part a bit during the time Lewis was writing Narnia.

CS Lewis is one of my biggest influences; he proved to me that a Christian could be both intelligent and have a Creative mind..and write fantasy.

Which was extremely awesome.

I didn't discover Tolkien until a bit later, although I did reat through the Lord of the Rings in ..gad i think I started in fourth grade and finished in fifth. Took me a long time to read through the books

As for SQ, I *think* I first met her in a fantasy writing forum on yahoo...been awhile though I could be wrong.

I Read LOTR every couple of years.  I always think I lost my copies and end up buying new ones (Well used ones really) So I have like 3 full sets of the books at home heh.

I remember those cartoons. I know the leather bound volumes you speak of as well If i remember right, they came in a set of four and you could get the simillarion in the same way.

THat would be really cool; I would have to keep another copy to actually read..heh. Paperback books are easier to kick back and read curled up in a chair.

I've not read David copperfield, but I'm kind of reading through great expectations. To be honest, however, the 19th century writers I *really* Like are: Mark Twain, Jules Verne, HG Wells, and Edger Allen Poe. I also loved Ben Hur by Lew Wallace and read a lot of Kipling (Although he may be considered more early 20th cent...) I tended towards the more fantastical writers as a kid, a trait I still have.

The leatherstocking tales...is that the one with the last of the mohacians in it?

I loved the stand. In high school I started reading Stephen King because of the book "The Talisman." after that I read most of his stuff; my favorites being the talisman, the stand, and the dark tower series. I never have been much in to straight horror.

Really depends; the last..four books? were written after his acciden. His writing changed somewhat; some people like it, some people hate it. Whatever the case it isn't exactly the same. I liked the last four books, but don't think they are as good as the first three. They get darker, if you can believe that, and a tad more cynical. However I thought they were pretty good...he doesn't end the series the way I would, but hey I'm not the one writing it I still love the tale of Roland and his search for the tower and I have six of the seven books in audio form. (Thanks to a subscription to audible.com.)

I'm not as big of a fan of King's as I used to be, I find my tastes are going away from his type of story. I don't mind dark fiction (not necessarily horror) but I always like for there to be some kind of hope left open, no matter how dark the current circumstances. King tends to leave little to no hope; heck even in the revised version of the stand he showed Flagg resurfacing.

One of my favorite books by King is the story collectin "hearts in atlantis." I think that is one of his best pieces of fiction; the first story in that ties in to the dark tower books. Also they made a movie based on the first story, but without the dark tower and starring Anhony Hopkins.

I'd say read the fourth book of the Dark Tower series; if you like that read the rest. If not, don't bother.

I might pick up David Copperfield. I've seen several movie versions, but never read it...heck I think I might have a copy somewhere.

I did read A Christmas Carol I guess I just tend to be drawn to things with fantastical elements.

I'm so happy about this prequel!  I was a bit bummed that Peter Jackson wasn't going to direct but at least he's involved.  The LOTR movie trilogy is my favorite! 

I think you'll find that Mr. Del Toro will do a good job, especially with Jackson as a producer.  Mr. Del Toro has already contacted most of the principle production people from the first trilogy (LIke Howard Shore for the music, the artists that designed everything, etc.)  Andy Sirkis, the actor behind Gollum, is already involved and Ian Mckellan wants to play Gandalf again.  I'm not sure if the guy playing bilbo should play him in the first movie, just because Biblo is so much younger.   You could get Orlando Bloom in as a cameo at some point, since he would have been alive at that point.  Not sure about Gimli, maybe in the second movie.

Ooh - that was what I was wondering about, who would be in the hobbit movie.  I think it'd be neat to have some of the same people return but I am also looking forward to meeting new characters.  Though, I'm thrilled that Ian McKellan wants to be back on board again - I honeslty couldn't imagine another person playing Gandalf! 

 

I admit I didn't read the books so I don't know what to expect...i'm excited nonetheless!

Mr. Jackson is actually executive producer for The Hobbit films, so don't be too bummed.  The original team is just adding more creative directors to their already fantastic crew!  Del Toro has done a fantastic job with his adaptation of comic book "Hellboy" and the haunting "Pan's Labryinth" -- his current release is a spooky, heart breaking "The Orphanage"

See the only Del Toro movie I've seen (That I know of) is hellboy.

Although I accidently listed the hobbit director as Benicio Del Toro when I first broke the news on my website...people were like "The actor!?"

heh.

LOL!  Uh, yeah - big difference!  heehee!

I have seen Pan's Labryinth and really enjoyed it visually.  I am sure he'll put a nice spin on The Hobbit movie. 

Who-hoo!  I'm excited that Del Toro is gonna do it!!!
I submitted this several times to the Mindsay news... maybe us crazy LOTR fans can all gang up and submit this as news?  I think it deserves to be there!

Heh thanks.  However I'm not that big of a fan about how the news is picked here, I don't know if you caught my rant a month or two ago about it.  If it is picked I will be kind of shocked, honestly. 

I think Mr. Del Toro will do a good job, myself. Then again I liked the original hell boy and I want to see Pan's Labyrinth.

...I could totally see Ron Perlman (Hellboy) doing the narration.

War..war never changes.

Check out the intros to Fallout 1 and 2:

I know, I know.  I've ranted, too.  News is basically picked at random, whenever something seems cool to one of the Mindsay founders, as I understand it.  It would be nice to see The Hobbit make the news (even though Del Toro's announcement was made last Thursday).

I agree and am very excited.  Del Toro is one of my fave filmmakers ever since I saw "The Devil's Backbone" and then loved him even more for his loving adaptation of "Hellboy!"

Ron Perlman would be a great narrator for Fallout!

He is the narrator for fallout.  Those are ripped from the beginning of the Fallout games.  He is also doing the Narration for Fallout 3, coming late this year. (Can't wait. Big fallout fan)

I think I might write a fallout-esque opening for the new Middle Earth movie today....