Will Peter Jackson Adapt Tolkien's Silmarillion for the Big Screen?

[moriheru]

Does anybody know if Peter Jackson intends on making a film on the silmarillion or other works of Tolkien that have no relation to middle earth, as rare as they are?

 

[PeroK]

Does anybody know if Peter Jackson intends on making a film on the silmarillion or other works of Tolkien that have no relation to middle earth, as rare as they are?

Let's hope not!

 

[moriheru]

I don't think he did that bad with Lord of the rings or the hobbit trilogy.He should have stopped aftr the Lord of the Rings

 

[StatGuy2000]

PeroK, I hope you don't take offence here, but are you serious?

I think Peter Jackson did a fantastic job at bringing Lord of the Rings trilogy to film (they are among my list of all-time favourite movies -- I proudly own the complete DVD set), bringing Middle Earth gloriously to life.

Granted, the Hobbit trilogy is inferior to the Lord of the Rings, but given the high expectations that's not surprising, and it's still solidly entertaining.

I haven't heard of any news about Jackson working on the Silmarillion (given that the books were unfinished prior to Tolkien's death, there may be some challenge in presenting a coherent film or films out of it), but I would be interested in taking a look if he decides to take it on.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I hope not. The Silmarillion isn't a story so much as backstory. As such it would make a boring 2 hours. Or ten.

 

[DrStupid]

I hope not. The Silmarillion isn't a story so much as backstory. As such it would make a boring 2 hours. Or ten.

Yes, the Silmarillion isn't a story but it contains some stories that are definitely worth to be made into a film. But that could went terrible wrong. Just imagine what Disney would make of the tale of Beren and Lúthien!

 

[HallsofIvy]

In fact The silmarillion reads more like a history than a novel.

 

[moriheru]

Yes the silmarilion is more of a history. It is about the two trees telperion and laurelin. It would be hard for Peter Jackson to make a movie on the history of middle Earth of the lost tales, but I think the silmarillion is possible.

 

[moriheru]

I am also quite proud to own the extended special edition(12 discs) of the trilogy with included guides. But they are not as good as the books. Nobody can say that Jackson didn't make an effort he did the film in three versions cartoon, animated and with puppets as they showed on the bonus material.

 

[PeroK]

PeroK, I hope you don't take offence here, but are you serious?

I think Peter Jackson did a fantastic job at bringing Lord of the Rings trilogy to film (they are among my list of all-time favourite movies -- I proudly own the complete DVD set), bringing Middle Earth gloriously to life.

Granted, the Hobbit trilogy is inferior to the Lord of the Rings, but given the high expectations that's not surprising, and it's still solidly entertaining.

I haven't heard of any news about Jackson working on the Silmarillion (given that the books were unfinished prior to Tolkien's death, there may be some challenge in presenting a coherent film or films out of it), but I would be interested in taking a look if he decides to take it on.

Here's a story. I worked in IT and (many years ago) my colleague and I were asked to fix some Unix system but the root password had been forgotten. After a few minutes, my friend had got in and I asked him what the password had been. "Gandalf" he said. I looked puzzled. "That means something, does it?" I asked. "Yes", he said, and smiled as though there was no hope for me!

 

[strangerep]

Does anybody know if Peter Jackson intends on making a film on the silmarillion or other works of Tolkien that have no relation to middle earth, as rare as they are?

PJ does not have rights to the Silmarillion, nor various other Tolkien works.
This blog has more information, mostly depressing.

 

[Dryson]

Peter Jackson produced the LOTR and Hobbit movies in the same manner that Tolkien wrote them years ago. What is history if not stories to be developed? There are hundreds of stories that could be developed from the Silmarillion. If PJ did do the Simarillion it would be just as good as the LOTR and the Hobbit movies.

I grew up reading LOTR and The Hobbit many times and I can say that PJ did +10 job of setting the environment exactly the way it was in the stories.

 

[DaveC426913]

Here's a story. I worked in IT and (many years ago) my colleague and I were asked to fix some Unix system but the root password had been forgotten. After a few minutes, my friend had got in and I asked him what the password had been. "Gandalf" he said. I looked puzzled. "That means something, does it?" I asked. "Yes", he said, and smiled as though there was no hope for me!

Recently, while discussing the books at work, a young lad of 30 expressed shock and surprise to hear that, before they had been movies, LotR had been ... books!

He thought the whole story was new.

Imagine his astonishment at my telling him how long ago the books had been written...

 

[strangerep]

[...] Imagine his astonishment at my telling him how long ago the books had been written...

Ha. Try explaining to him the reason why Tolkien seems to go a bit over the top about the close relationships between the Riders of Rohan and their horses. Hint.

 

[moriheru]

Peter Jackson produced the LOTR and Hobbit movies in the same manner that Tolkien wrote them years ago. What is history if not stories to be developed? There are hundreds of stories that could be developed from the Silmarillion. If PJ did do the Simarillion it would be just as good as the LOTR and the Hobbit movies.

I grew up reading LOTR and The Hobbit many times and I can say that PJ did +10 job of setting the environment exactly the way it was in the stories.

I would not think so. In the first Hobbit Peter Jackson revived a long dead orc (Azog, as most of you probably know) and incorparated radagast who did not apear in the original hobbit by Tolkien. But he did keep the general structure but added a lot of material from other books.

 

[Bandersnatch]

If PJ did do the Simarillion it would be just as good as the LOTR and the Hobbit movies.

I'd rather say it would be just as good as LOTR, or just as bad as the Hobbit. Considering how bloated yet vacuous he made the Hobbit, stretching the short, simple story thin across three movies, I'm pretty sure the Silmarilion would get a similar treatment.

 

[moriheru]

I do not understand why he made 3 films for the hobbit and the lord of the rings. If the lord of the rings has six books over about 1000 pages including apendixi three films are suiting. But the hobbit barely has 300 pages, so he would have to fill in lots that is not in the hobbit.

 

[heatengine516]

I think a movie focused on The Children of Hurin would be pretty cool. As for the entire Silmarillion I don't know. It would be like trying to make a movie (or movies) out of the entire bible.

 

[strangerep]

I think a movie focused on The Children of Hurin would be pretty cool.

Yeah -- but if done unashamedly it would have nudity.

(Hmm,... which was the last Peter Jackson film that had nudity?)

 

[strangerep]

[...] Considering how bloated yet vacuous he made the Hobbit, stretching the short, simple story thin across three movies, I'm pretty sure the Silmarilion would get a similar treatment.

You think the Silmarilion is a "short, simple story"??

I would have said that "the life and times of Beren & Luthien" would need 2-3 movies just by itself, if done properly. :D

 

[Evo]

I don't think he did that bad with Lord of the rings or the hobbit trilogy.He should have stopped aftr the Lord of the Rings

He should have, but I believe Peter bought the rights to the hobbit.

My best friend won 3 oscars for his work on LOTR, he's good friends with Peter and Fran.

 

[Bandersnatch]

You think the Silmarilion is a "short, simple story"??

I would have said that "the life and times of Beren & Luthien" would need 2-3 movies just by itself, if done properly. :D

Of course it's not a short, simple story. It's not a story. Instead, it's a collection of short stories. And yes, they are simple. They describe grand events, but they have so little actual content in them, that making a movie out of whichever would require making up filler by the bucket.

 

[Borek]

I would have said that "the life and times of Beren & Luthien" would need 2-3 movies just by itself, if done properly.

Make it 6-9 if done by Jackson.

 

[jedishrfu]

I used to show kids how to write in Tengwar and how to translate the dwarvish runes on the title of LOTR. I'd joke about how we'd write stuff about our teachers in Tengwar on our book covers which they couldn't read. I also cautioned them that that trick no longer works today as many of those teachers did the same things and know how to read the writing.

 

[DrStupid]

PJ does not have rights to the Silmarillion, nor various other Tolkien works.

If the Silmarillion is not possible he could make something similar without copyright. There are many historic sagas e.g. the Nibelungenlied with heros, dwarfs, a magic ring and lot of blood and thunder (in Tolkien's world it would belong to the Fourth Age).

 

[moriheru]

I used to show kids how to write in Tengwar and how to translate the dwarvish runes on the title of LOTR. I'd joke about how we'd write stuff about our teachers in Tengwar on our book covers which they couldn't read. I also cautioned them that that trick no longer works today as many of those teachers did the same things and know how to read the writing.

I to have acquired the elvish tongue. Yet I speak more or less fluent quenya and not sindarin and I am aware that sindarin is the most popular of the two elven languages and the own used in the films so I have not yet spoken to anyone in quenya. Before any correction attempt, yes I know there are more than two elven languages, as there is a complex web of elven languages. I do not write tengwar thoe but I know of the system, just didn't get around to it.

 

[moriheru]

Of course it's not a short, simple story. It's not a story. Instead, it's a collection of short stories. And yes, they are simple. They describe grand events, but they have so little actual content in them, that making a movie out of whichever would require making up filler by the bucket.

That is as far as I know true (this is just a precortion I am sure), the silmarillion is based on the two trees, telperion and laurelin(I am aware that laurelin is called differently by some valar, the mother of magic) that are first described in the third chapter of the lost tales V1. Yet the silmarillion is manly based on the silmarilli, who would have guessed.It retells some of the older mythological happenings such as the creation of the lanterns north and south and the destructed of theses by melko or as he is also called Morgoth and the ainurlindale and so on...

If the Silmarillion is not possible he could make something similar without copyright. There are many historic sagas e.g. the Nibelungenlied with heros, dwarfs, a magic ring and lot of blood and thunder (in Tolkien's world it would belong to the Fourth Age).

If you think of the old english tales, that Tolkien had translated . In 2012 I believe Christopher Tolkien published the "Fall of Arthur" that tolkien had partly translated in the 1930 I believe, others are Sir Gawain, Sir Orfeo, Pearl. PJ would never make films of them. But I think you meant stroys of middle Earth relation.

 

[strangerep]

He should have [stopped], but I believe Peter bought the rights to the hobbit.

I thought the rendition of Smaug was worth the price of admission. Better than anyone else's previous versions of Smaug.

But the extended under-the-mountain storyline degenerated into stupidity: as if dwarves wouldn't know that you can't kill a firedrake with fire...

 

[Evo]

It seems i remembered wrong Peter never was able to buy the rights to the Hobbit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(film_series)#Development

 

[StatGuy2000]

Ha. Try explaining to him the reason why Tolkien seems to go a bit over the top about the close relationships between the Riders of Rohan and their horses. Hint.

That is interesting that Tolkien had an especial affinity to horses and cavalry. Although it is also worth noting that it is not uncommon for many ethnic groups, particularly those that are (or were historically) nomadic or semi-nomadic, to have a deep cultural affinity for or affection for horses (e.g. Mongols, Turks, Hungarians). So in this respect, the Riders of Rohan are not portrayed in an unrealistic manner.

 

[strangerep]

[...] So in this respect, the Riders of Rohan are not portrayed in an unrealistic manner.

Yes -- that's what I meant: Tolkien does a much better job of portraying this than a lot of other fantasy writers.

His insights into jealousies and egos as the driving force of civilizations are also interesting. Have you read the extended story of Galadriel? Although she's one of the good guys, and remains so, she's driven deep down by ego and hubris.

 

[moriheru]

Where can one find the extended story of galadriel? In the appendi of lord of the rings or in the history fo middle Earth (1-12)?

Yes -- that's what I meant: Tolkien does a much better job of portraying this than a lot of other fantasy writers.His insights into jealousies and egos as the driving force of civilizations are also interesting. Have you read the extended story of Galadriel? Although she's one of the good guys, and remains so, she's driven deep down by ego and hubris.

Where can one find the extended story of galadriel? In the appendi of lord of the rings or in the history fo middle Earth (1-12)?

 

[strangerep]

Where can one find the extended story of galadriel? In the appendi of lord of the rings or in the history fo middle Earth (1-12)?

I saw it in Unfinished Tales -- which is partly stories, and partly commentary by Chris Tolkien on his father's unfinished writings (hence he points out various inconsistencies where JRR apparently changed his mind about some of the details).

I don't know if it's since been re-edited/re-published.

 

[moriheru]

Thanks strangerep.

 

[Mike Holland]

The LOTR films were great, but the Hobbit film lost all the charm of the book. Too many horrible orcs, and no Tom Bombadil, so that a child's fantasy became a horror movie!
I tried reading Silmarillion, but found it unreadable, so I have never tried any of the other works by Christopher Tolkien. I certainly wouldn't go to see a movie of it.

Mike