Archive for the ‘Christopher Tolkien’ Category
April 25, 2013 at 12:35 am by Demosthenes
The quest for Middle-earth canon. In some ways it always feels a bit of a Sisyphean endeavour.
You know the story of the mythological Greek king, Sisyphus, right?
For those who don’t recall, Sisyphus was just too crafty for his own good. So the Greek gods, never tolerant of being made to look foolish, designed for him the most frustrating of punishments: Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge boulder up a steep hill. Just before he could reach the top, it would roll back down, forcing him to begin all over again. (more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Green Books, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Other Tolkien books, Silmarillion, Tolkien
April 20, 2013 at 8:23 am by Demosthenes
Several strongholds of elves and men are besieged while Frodo and Sam are trudging laboriously through Mordor to Mount Doom. In particular, Lothlórien repels three such assaults before Galadriel and Celeborn finally lead a counter-offensive against Dol Guldur.
“…the assaults were driven back; and when the Shadow passed, Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed.” Appendix B, Lord of the Rings.
That last sentence has often puzzled; people wonder exactly how Galadriel might have accomplished such a task. More, why is she doing now what ought to have been accomplished when the White Council drove Sauron from Dol Guldur years before? (more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Fellowship of the Ring, Green Books, Hobbit Book, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Other Tolkien books, Return of the King, Silmarillion, The Two Towers, Tolkien
April 1, 2013 at 12:02 am by newsfrombree
Whether it was the photoshopped image of JRR Tolkien signing a document, many years after his passing, or the last line of this release, this was one of our 2013….
APRIL FOOLS
Global leader in high-quality family entertainment agrees to acquire world-renowned Middle-earth Enterprises, including THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT franchises.
Acquisition continues Disney’s strategic focus on creating and monetizing the world’s best branded content, innovative technology and global growth to drive long-term shareholder value.
Middle-earth Enterprises to join company’s global portfolio of world class brands including Disney, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and ABC.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN TO MIDDLE-EARTH feature animated film targeted for release in 2016.
Burbank, CA and Berkeley, CA, April 1, 2013 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Middle-earth Enterprises in a stock and cash transaction. Middle-earth Enterprises, formerly known as Tolkien Enterprises, is a division of The Saul Zaentz Company, headquartered in Berkeley, California.
Under the terms of the agreement, the transaction value is $10 billion (US). The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.
“Middle-earth Enterprises reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of JRR Tolkien, the greatest author of the 20th century,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”
(more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Events, Fool, Hobbit Movie, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Other Tolkien books, The Hobbit, TheOneRing.net Announcements, TheOneRing.net Community, Tolkien
March 23, 2013 at 6:02 am by Demosthenes
As you’re probably aware, Harper Collins is publishing J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur in May 2013.
Edited by the Professor’s son, Christopher, the publication also includes “three illuminating essays that explore the literary world of King Arthur, reveal the deeper meaning of the verses and the painstaking work that his father applied to bring it to a finished form, and the intriguing links between The Fall of Arthur and his greatest creation, Middle-earth.”
But while we all wait, I thought people might enjoy this interesting speculation about what The Fall of Arthur might hold for us that I stumbled across over on Tolkien Library. (more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Green Books, J.R.R. Tolkien, Other Tolkien books, Tolkien
January 7, 2013 at 11:47 am by JPB
Christopher Tolkien
Often, when a lengthy discussion of the Hobbit films takes place, someone asks “What about the other books? What about material from The Silmarillion, or Unfinished Tales? Will these be adapted to the big screen?”
The answer to this question is a simple one. As it stands, the literary executor of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, his son, Christopher Tolkien, has refused to consider any further licensing of his father’s work for cinematic purposes.
Many fans are quite frustrated by this state of affairs. They know there is interesting material contained in these other sources, such as the well-known “Quest for Erebor.” That one short work alone would illuminate in key ways the motivations and decisions of principal characters in the films. (For the curious, the Quest for Erebor may be found in a shortened form in “Unfinished Tales”, and in a fuller form in the revised edition of Douglas Anderson’s “Annotated Hobbit.”)
(more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Green Books, Hobbit Movie, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Miscellaneous, Other Tolkien books, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, TheOneRing.net Community, Tolkien
January 6, 2013 at 7:48 am by newsfrombree
| Source: Total Film| No Comments »
In the latest edition of Total Film Magazine, James McAvoy reveals he would like to play a younger Gandalf if a prequel was ever made. (Before getting too excited – or not – Christopher Tolkien is pretty adamant he would never sell the film rights to the Silmarillion.)
From TotalFilm.com:
“I’d like to play Gandalf,” he told us, laughing.
‘Gandalf: Origins’, we offer? “It’s called The Silmarillion! It’s a collection of poems and songs that chart the ancient history of Middle-earth. My true geek is coming to the fore, but they’re really, really beautiful stories.
“In part of that is the genesis of Gandalf, or Mithrandir, or Stormcrow, or any of his many, many names. Anyway, maybe that’s the one!”
Would McAvoy make a good Gandalf? Do you think the Silmarillion rights will ever be sold? Tell us what you think below! [TotalFilm.com]
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien, Other Tolkien books, Silmarillion, Tolkien
January 3, 2013 at 9:59 pm by Demosthenes
| Source: The Smithsonian| No Comments »
For readers of The Hobbit, which became an almost overnight classic following its 1937 debut, the new movie may elicit some puzzlement. Seemingly extraneous flourishes clog up what many remember as a simple fairy tale, and random characters appear at every twist and turn throughout Middle Earth.
Yet those fans who went on to immerse themselves in J.R.R. Tolkien’s wider lore will find inspiration. For the most part, director Peter Jackson does not exercise an extra heaping of artistic license. Rather, Jackson—reportedly something of a nerd himself—borrows from the larger Tolkien literature to create a rich Hobbit tableau.
“Jackson knows the lore pretty well and wanted to bring that larger material in there wherever he could,” said Michael Drout, an English professor at Wheaton College who founded the academic journal Tolkien Studies and edited the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia. It’s this so-called textuality—or texts behind texts behind other texts—that lends Tolkien’s work the air of reality, he said, and which Jackson seeks to capture in his films.
Jackson isn’t free to tap into any detail he wants from Tolkien’s wider works, however. “He had a very difficult task in that the movie rights extend only to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings,” said John Rateliff, an independent Tolkien scholar and author of The History of the Hobbit. “He’s well aware that there’s a great deal more material set in that world, but contractually not allowed to use that material in the movies.”
[Read More]
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Other Tolkien books, Peter Jackson, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, Tolkien, Tolkien Estate
November 21, 2012 at 5:18 am by linuxelf
| Source: The Daily Mail| No Comments »
The grandson of JRR Tolkien said he felt ‘suffocated’ by the legacy of his famous relative and feared never being able to emerge from his shadow.
Barrister-turned-novelist Simon Tolkien said the unstoppable success of the film adaptations of his grandfather’s classic Lord of the Rings trilogy caused a bitter feud within his family.
Mr Tolkien said the problems led to an ‘incredibly, dreadfully painful’ feud with his father Christoper.
The 53-year-old author of The Stepmother and the Inspector Trave trilogy said ‘nothing could prepare’ his family for the release of the films, which he said was like being ‘hit by a juggernaut’.
He said the success of the films, which grossed almost $3 billion worldwide, made him feel as if he had ‘disappeared’.
He told The Sunday Times: ‘It was like being hit by a juggernaut. One minute, I was Simon Tolkien, a barrister from London. The next, I was JRR Tolkien’s grandson. This might sound strange, but I began to lose sight of who I was. It was as if I — me, Simon — had disappeared. I felt suffocated.’
It was reported at the time that the family row stemmed from Mr Tolkien’s willingness to cooperate with director Peter Jackson despite opposition from the rest of the estate. However this was later denied.
Mr Tolkien said: ‘Maybe some people assumed it was about money…I don’t know.
‘In hindsight, I think all of my anger was being driven by this feeling that I was trapped. All I ever was going to be was the grandson of a very famous writer. That was the sum total of my achievements.’
He and his father have since managed to reconcile their differences and he even dedicated his latest book to his father. He said: ‘I guess I feel lucky that I got the chance to put things right with my dad.
[Read more]
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Tolkien
November 20, 2012 at 12:20 am by Demosthenes
| Source: Deadline.com| No Comments »
Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins are suing The Saul Zaentz Company and Warner Bros. Tolkien Estate alleges that the companies are merchandising beyond the bounds of what was agreed in the 1969 deal with the studio and rights holder Saul Zeantz.
“The original contracting parties thus contemplated a limited grant of the right to sell consumer products of the type regularly merchandised at the time (such as figurines, tableware, stationery items, clothing and the like). They did not include any grant of exploitations such as electronic or digital rights, rights in media yet to be devised or other intangibles such as rights in services,” says the 26-page complaint. (more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien, Studios, Tolkien, Tolkien Estate, Warner Bros.
October 7, 2012 at 9:02 am by greendragon
Last July, we told you of rumours of a new publication of Tolkien’s work, expected May of 2013. There is now confirmation from British publishers Harper Collins that Tolkien’s long poem, The Fall of Arthur, will indeed be released next Spring. The text has of course been edited by the Professor’s son Christopher, and the publication will also included ‘three illuminating essays that explore the literary world of King Arthur, reveal the deeper meaning of the verses and the painstaking work that his father applied to bring it to a finished form, and the intriguing links between The Fall of Arthur and his greatest creation, Middle-earth.’
Exciting stuff; fans everywhere will be eager to read Tolkien’s poem on the British legend which was one of his inspirations to create his own mythic saga. Read the details here; thanks to David for sending us the update!
UPDATE – we now also have the official press release from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, about the US release of this work. It follows after the break!
(more…)
Posted in Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien, Other Tolkien books, Tolkien
August 19, 2012 at 5:30 pm by grammaboodawg
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve 
fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun!
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Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Fans, Hobbit Movie, Hobbit Movie Rumors, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Production, The Hobbit, TheOneRing.net Community, Tolkien
July 17, 2012 at 9:36 am by Demosthenes
So over the last 24 to 48 hours, there’s only been about half a billion articles posted across the interwebs about the Hall H presentation. Then add an equal number of video interviews that Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage have been doing about The Hobbit.
Talk about feast or famine!
So without further ado, here’s a round-up of the latest ones, and a bit of a summary for many of the articles to help you decide what to read or watch.
Bootnote: big props to everyone who has been sending in links to spymaster at theonering dot net — you’re all ace! And be sure to drop us a line if you think you have a scoop about the production — we’d love to hear from you!
Now updated! with press conference video footage!
SPOILER WARNING!
(more…)
Posted in Andy Serkis, Christopher Tolkien, ComicCon, Conventions, Events, Guillermo Del Toro, Headlines, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, Hobbit Movie Rumors, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Richard Armitage, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, Tolkien
