This is essentially a case of trying to capitalize on the huge success of Game of Thrones. Amazon definitely wants a share of that pie.


http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-amazon-1202613609/


So will this new series feature Tom Bombadil?

There is a lot of material they could explore in the Silmarillion or Unfinished Tales. I hope they don't stick to the LoTR Triology or the Hobbit. I'm still trying to bury my memories of what they did with the Hobbit movies ...Smaug 2 the Electric Boogaloo.

will wait and see. It might make it worth while getting amazon for this and top gear

My instinct tells me that they are going to do the LOTR trilogy because that is what is known by the mainstream audience and the films proved that it is popular.

The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales may be perceived as being too esoteric.

"The Amazon deal does not cover “The Silmarillion,” the third major work taking place in Tolkein’s Middle Earth and adjacent worlds, published after the author’s death."

...Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding “The Fellowship of the Ring.”...The Amazon deal does not cover “The Silmarillion,”...

It may be something original, loosely based on the material, or all new like in the Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor/War games.
I don't know, LOTR was one of the best movie productions ever IMO, even with The Hobbit coming along trying to ruin it. Big shoes to fill. I don't know if the audience will want new characters, the only thing worse being new actors playing familiar characters. I'm picturing that they want to bring a young Aragorn, Arwen, Legolas story for young adults.

The Shannara show is already out there, oriented towards a young audience. It's LOTR formula based, like a lot of fantasy. I don't think it's doing well, barely getting a season 2. If it didn't have Manu Bennett, I doubt it would have much going for it at all.

Agreed. I think our pop culture has it firmly ingrained that Ian McKellen IS Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen IS Aragorn, Christopher Lee IS Saruman, etc. etc.

Well I think William Shatner IS James T. Kirk, but the new movies with that imposter have done ok.

Yeah, but Shatner is old to us now. I bet Viggo could still pull it off, not that I think he would.
Chris Pine is good in the ST movies, but I don’t really think of him as playing a younger (well, used to be) version of Shatner’s Kirk. The storyline/timeline of those movies is so weird I just think of him as having his own character.

I hope they stick with the 3 books and stay as far away from the other stuff as possible. It was always just filler and it gives too much room for director interpretation and you end up with stupid things that make no sense canonically. But then again the SoIaF thing on HBO was a huge success and they did their own thing and even finished the series before the last book was even written so who knows. It's hard to believe that someone would pay 250m for the rights to LotR though. That is pretty much half their production cost right there...

This could turn out great or not very good depending on who's behind it and the vision. I would very much look forward to seeing new actors take on the challenge of these stories and characters. I personally would much prefer to see it cast with actors that are by and large unfamiliar to tv and movie watchers. Some of the best actors are theater/stage performers. I'm certain there are many working actors out there as well who no one knows who are better actors than the big budget peoples. Lets give them a chance and show the overpaid Hollywood actors what for. I hope they don't violate the books and lore and the spirit of them with political and sexual agendas of today. That stuff seems to be creeping in to everything and it does not belong. I've enjoyed some of their productions(or parts of it rather), not all, but I still don't trust Amazon completely in handling this material. Hopefully they will have to be more liable knowing that the Tolkien estate or whatever you'd call it is involved.

I guess this could easily become a never-ending soap opera set in Middle-Earth, making up new & senseless storylines for as long as the series is not cancelled. But, as ever, I'll be happy to be surprised.

Never trust a movie. Read the Book.