Amazon LOTR

[DakRen]

Laurelin and Telperion!!!!
Wow!!! This looks amazing, if nothing else this promises to be a visually stunning series!
I am feeling very hopeful about this project, I wonder how early they are going to go in this story?
I had thought the series would be about the 2nd Age - Sauron, Celebrimbor, Ar-Pharazon, the Fall of Numenor up to the Last Alliance.
But this is WAY WAY before that - is this show going to be the Silmarillion?????????
My only other thought is that its a flashback for one of the main characters..... dare I hope its a flashback to Mairon's seduction by Melkor - the start of the path to him becoming Sauron?
My memory of the rough timeline is sketchy - is Sauron part of Morgoth's service during the time of The Trees?
I feel that he is by the time they are destroyed, did he fall in the Years of the Lamps? before? after?

Sauron joined Morgoth during the Years of the Lamps.

 

[Someperson]

Someone mentioned Amazon was planning to give elves short hair… that killed the buzz a bit for me.

 

[Hoody999]

After seeing this new first pic, I am officially hyped for this.

Me too. Considering the money they've spent it should be amazing. Just hope the story is good.

 

[chrisstbh]

Like....Disney knew about fans of Star Wars?

(Actually I'm cautiously optimistic too.)

B-b-but there was no source material for Star Wars to take inspiration from!! That was the problem we swear!! Apart from the previous 6 movies, Clone Wars show, dozens of video games and books, etc. There was nothing!!

 

[warlock664]

Just hope the story is good.

No need for concern on that front: read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales for the answer.
Assuming there isn’t too much deviation from the source material.

 

[superdoug]

Like....Disney knew about fans of Star Wars?

(Actually I'm cautiously optimistic too.)

That cuts deep.

I am holding on to hope that Amazon treats the property well and I am hoping it is a series I can watch with my family. My oldest took after me and is a big Tolkien fan. She is actually going to start reading the Silmarillion. I have very fond memories of reading her the Hobbit and LOTR in elementary school. My kids weren’t born when the movies came out and were still to young to see the Hobbit movies in the theaters so this has the potential of being a neat family bonding experience. It’s been lots of fun sharing the experience of watching the Mandalorian with my kids and I would love to be able to do the same with Middle Earth.

 

[Hoody999]

No need for concern on that front: read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales for the answer.
Assuming there isn’t too much deviation from the source material.

OK excellent. I'm not so close to the details of what Amazon is doing, but if they are working with the source material then should be fine.....I hope....

 

[Sassafras]

Like....Disney knew about fans of Star Wars?

(Actually I'm cautiously optimistic too.)

Yeah, there was already a dust-up when fans found out an "intimacy coordinator" or whatever had been hired - no SMUT in Middle Earth, as far as fans are concerned.

Middle Earth had no smut. Middle Earth needs no smut.

I never get what I want in these things anyway - like I wouldn't have done what Jackson did, making so much of Arwen; I think Faramir and Eowyn are way more interesting. I wouldn't have made Denethor so looney. I would have kept Glorfindel. In the Hobbit I would have had more Thranduil and Beorn and dwarves, and toned down the Kili/Tauriel thing to something mild.

And from what little info is out about the series, I probably won't get Oropher, Thranduil, and Durin IV for the *climatic battles of the Last Alliance*. I'd guess the focus of the series will be on Sauron and his lust for power, and treachery.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I'd guess the focus of the series will be on Sauron and his lust for power, and treachery.

Sauron will be an actual actor? I guess I always imagined Sauron as more 'presence' than person.

 

[RandomHero]

Sauron will be an actual actor? I guess I always imagined Sauron as more 'presence' than person.

I’m sure they’re going to show him disguised as Annatar, having the Rings of Power forged and handing them out. Seems like an easy storyline would the corruption of the Nine and their rise as the Nazgul.

 

[Wor-Gar]

So that is what the new series is about: the PT version of LOTR, the rise and fall of Annatar?

I know very little about the extended world of Middle Earth beyond the two obvious time periods that most know. I hope it will be interesting and not just GoT lite.

 

[DakRen]

No need for concern on that front: read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales for the answer.
Assuming there isn’t too much deviation from the source material.

Right but the Second Age has much less fleshed out material than First or Third Age. There is much room for excellence or failure which means a level of caution is warranted. For instance Galadriel has so many different revisions and versions of her backstory that it will be a challenge for the show runners and writers to pick the right elements. That said I can’t help but be excited!

 

[DakRen]

So that is what the new series is about: the PT version of LOTR, the rise and fall of Annatar?

I know very little about the extended world of Middle Earth beyond the two obvious time periods that most know. I hope it will be interesting and not just GoT lite.

From the clues we have such as the map provided by LOTRonprime official site it is based on the forging of the rings of power and the elven kingdom of Eregion. There are likely more stories running concurrently like Numenor’s growing colonization effort or the Blue Wizards in the Eastern regions like Khand or Harad.

This eastern region of Eriador is Eregion where Celebrimbor and Galadriel rule:

This western region of Eriador is Lindon where Gil-galad rules with Elrond as his vice regent:

 

[Sassafras]

I’m sure they’re going to show him disguised as Annatar, having the Rings of Power forged and handing them out. Seems like an easy storyline would the corruption of the Nine and their rise as the Nazgul.

And the fall of Númenor; - total geek moment - tying back to when Elrond tells Gandalf "The race of Men is failing. The blood of Númenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten."

Since the movies don't have time to detail everything, that mention of Númenor wouldn't mean anything to many. But I think the fall of Númenor will be in the series.

As a dwarf fan, I'd like to see mention that the dwarves weren't enslaved by Sauron with their rings; I don't know if Tolkien ever described why the dwarves were relatively unaffected by the rings they received. Except for maybe gold sickness tho that's kind of murky.

 

[ZE_501]

As a dwarf fan, I'd like to see mention that the dwarves weren't enslaved by Sauron with their rings; I don't know if Tolkien ever described why the dwarves were relatively unaffected by the rings they received. Except for maybe gold sickness tho that's kind of murky.

It just affected them differently -- increasing greed and anger, which would have caused them to withdraw and go all Scrooge McDuck.

 

[RandomHero]

So that is what the new series is about: the PT version of LOTR, the rise and fall of Annatar?

I know very little about the extended world of Middle Earth beyond the two obvious time periods that most know. I hope it will be interesting and not just GoT lite.

A little history for you on this.

Before Sauron was the big bad of Middle Earth, he was a lieutenant in the army of Morgoth. The War of Wrath broke out - the largest and longest in the history of Middle Earth. Morgoth's army squared off against the Army of Valinor, which consisted of predominantly Elves, but also men, dwarves and eagles. Morgoth commanded balrogs, dragons, orcs and more. The Army of Valinor suffered incredible losses, but did entirely wipe out Morgoth's army, save for Sauron, one balrog and a handful of orcs that fled.

One of the commanders in the Army of Valinor was Earendil, who had recruited the Valar (gods) to help defeat and capture Morgoth. He had two sons, Elros and Elrond. The Valar allowed the two sons to choose what life they would lead - Elrond obviously chose the life of the Elves and Elros chose the life of men. As thanks for their help defeating Morgorth and as reparations for the massive destruction in the Middle Earth, the Valar created an island for Elros to settle, which would become Numenor.

Over the years, the Numenoreans would grow to resent the choice Elros made, craving immortality and power. They cut themselves off from the Elves and the Valar, except for a handful that included Elendil and his sons, Anarion and Isildur.

The King of Numenor captured Sauron and brought him to Numenor as his prisoner - which Sauron planned in order to corrupt the Numenoreans. Over time, it worked, as Sauron used the Numenoreans desire for immortality against them, and convinced them to turn on the Valar and worship Morgoth, the dark Valar. Eventually, he would convince them to launch an attack on the Undying Lands.

Isildur learned of this and disguised himself and entered the King's palace and cut a fruit from the White Tree, that had originally been brought from the Undying Lands (Valinor) when Numenor was first settled by Elros. He was beaten within an inch of his life, but escaped with the fruit. He remained in a comatose state for months until a seed from the fruit began to grow and Isildur was suddenly healed. That very sapling would lead to the White Tree of Gondor, the tree of the King.

Elendil and his followed packed up and left Numenor, with the sapling of the White Tree, the palantirs and several other treasures, just as the rest of Numenor planned to launch their attack on Valinor. They left on ten ships, Elendil landed north in Middle Earth, Isildur and Anarion landed south. They founded the kingdoms that Aragorn would reunite thousands of years later.

Meanwhile, as soon as the Numenorean army touched down on the Undying Lands, they were swiftly destroyed by Eru (God) and Numenor was sunk into the sea, with only the faithful followers led by Elendil spared to continue the line. With Numenor destroyed, the greatest line of men was gone, and Sauron began to work to conquer Middle Earth. Disguised as Annatar, he forged the Rings of Power, controlled by the One Ring. The Elves could not be corrupted by them, but the nine kings of men who accepted them became the Nazgul.

Eventually this would all lead to a showdown with the War of the Last Alliance that ended the second age.

 

[RandomHero]

I put way too much effort into that.

 

[Wor-Gar]

That was very cool, thank you.

One thing, I'm confused by the anger at Elros by Man. Why were they mad at him? Because Men are mortal? How is that his fault?


It never ceases to amaze me how rich the history of Middle Earth is. Such an amazing make-believe world.

 

[RandomHero]

One thing, I'm confused by the anger at Elros by Man. Why were they mad at him? Because Men are mortal? How is that his fault?

Yes - much like Arwen, Elros made the choice to forgo his immortality (to age) as an Elf, and live as a mortal among men. Due to his Elven lineage, Elros and his descendants were gifted with long life - that's why Aragorn was 80 something during the events of LOTR and lived to be over 200. During the Second Age, when Numenor was still at the height of it's power, they lived much longer than that. Elendil was well over 300 years old when he was killed by Sauron.

Despite the long lifespan, the Numenoreans weren't satisfied. They resented Elros for his choice. Had he remained Elven, they would have been immortal (to age) as Elrond and the other Elves were. They felt they were deserving of it due to their strength as a people, but it was taken from them without their say. That's how Sauron was able to turn them against the Valar, over their anger at them for the lack of immortality as chosen by their ancestor.

 

[jye4ever]

A little history for you on this.

Before Sauron was the big bad of Middle Earth, he was a lieutenant in the army of Morgoth. The War of Wrath broke out - the largest and longest in the history of Middle Earth. Morgoth's army squared off against the Army of Valinor, which consisted of predominantly Elves, but also men, dwarves and eagles. Morgoth commanded balrogs, dragons, orcs and more. The Army of Valinor suffered incredible losses, but did entirely wipe out Morgoth's army, save for Sauron, one balrog and a handful of orcs that fled.

One of the commanders in the Army of Valinor was Earendil, who had recruited the Valar (gods) to help defeat and capture Morgoth. He had two sons, Elros and Elrond. The Valar allowed the two sons to choose what life they would lead - Elrond obviously chose the life of the Elves and Elros chose the life of men. As thanks for their help defeating Morgorth and as reparations for the massive destruction in the Middle Earth, the Valar created an island for Elros to settle, which would become Numenor.

Over the years, the Numenoreans would grow to resent the choice Elros made, craving immortality and power. They cut themselves off from the Elves and the Valar, except for a handful that included Elendil and his sons, Anarion and Isildur.

The King of Numenor captured Sauron and brought him to Numenor as his prisoner - which Sauron planned in order to corrupt the Numenoreans. Over time, it worked, as Sauron used the Numenoreans desire for immortality against them, and convinced them to turn on the Valar and worship Morgoth, the dark Valar. Eventually, he would convince them to launch an attack on the Undying Lands.

Isildur learned of this and disguised himself and entered the King's palace and cut a fruit from the White Tree, that had originally been brought from the Undying Lands (Valinor) when Numenor was first settled by Elros. He was beaten within an inch of his life, but escaped with the fruit. He remained in a comatose state for months until a seed from the fruit began to grow and Isildur was suddenly healed. That very sapling would lead to the White Tree of Gondor, the tree of the King.

Elendil and his followed packed up and left Numenor, with the sapling of the White Tree, the palantirs and several other treasures, just as the rest of Numenor planned to launch their attack on Valinor. They left on ten ships, Elendil landed north in Middle Earth, Isildur and Anarion landed south. They founded the kingdoms that Aragorn would reunite thousands of years later.

Meanwhile, as soon as the Numenorean army touched down on the Undying Lands, they were swiftly destroyed by Eru (God) and Numenor was sunk into the sea, with only the faithful followers led by Elendil spared to continue the line. With Numenor destroyed, the greatest line of men was gone, and Sauron began to work to conquer Middle Earth. Disguised as Annatar, he forged the Rings of Power, controlled by the One Ring. The Elves could not be corrupted by them, but the nine kings of men who accepted them became the Nazgul.

Eventually this would all lead to a showdown with the War of the Last Alliance that ended the second age.

Wait so before Sauron was an evil entity who commanded orcs he was once a person in an army who also commanded orcs.

Hmm doesn’t sound that much different than LOTR to me lol

Ok ok I kid hopefully it will all seem fresh and unique and not just a rehash of what we got cinematically already.

Imagine spending 500 million just to tell the same story again lol