I’m sure it comes as no surprise that on Sunday morning, April 1st you woke up to a bunch of internet websites doing their best to fool you into thinking their words were true, and TORn is no different. We did post two separate stories that were lacking in the veracity department. One post claimed we were moving to a paid subscription business model, which on it’s own is intriguing, but because some message board members were involved, there were links to supporting messages. In fact, the bulk of the story sounded quite reasonable, until you got to the highest subscription level, ‘Mithril’ and one perk is the ability rent a Nazgul, for no more than 2 hours a year, and the reminder to book early for the Halloween timeframe and that TORn is not responsible for terror or destruction. OK, that last bit had me cackling, anyone else? No? Just me then.
The other story, believe it or not, actually fooled our own, beloved Webmaster Calisuri. He can be forgiven, it was clear a lot of people wanted the story about Guillermo Del Toro working on the Amazon Middle-earth stories to be true, which is what made this story so much more believable. There was nothing outlandish in the story, it was about a current subject that TORn had just covered the week before at Wondercon, and it fed into the deep fan desire to see the Middle-earth that could have been. And while we want to come clean with you, the readers of our little website, we especially want to reach out to Guillermo Del Toro to assure him there was no malice intended with this April Fools joke. We knew fans would fall for it, or want to fall for it, because GDT is so beloved as a storyteller and creator of amazingly detailed creative worlds, and in the end, the reach of this story just says how much GDT is appreciated in this fandom. This guy wasn’t fooled.
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When Amazon Studios first announced their big production deal last November for a Lord of the Rings television series, there was just one thing missing, a big name attached to the project. There was no Producer, Showrunner or even a Writer or team of Writers to indicate the direction these stories might take and give confidence to fans that Middle-earth would be in good hands.
It has been confirmed that the Guillermo Del Toro has signed on with Amazon Studios, in conjunction with his Tequila Gang production company, to Executive Produce and write this iteration of Middle-earth. He brings with him his co-writer, Chuck Hogan from The Strain. Del Toro’s long time manager, Gary Ungar says that they have already begun identifying and sifting through possible stories that exist within the Appendices, separating out those that are more fleshed out in other Tolkien properties. Because the deal with the Tolkien Estate and Trust is still in flux, they are currently only looking at storylines they know won’t be a legal issue so they can get down to writing.
During that time waiting for The Hobbit project to finally get going, Guillermo Del Toro spent nearly two years breaking down The Hobbit and working with pre-production designs for the story he was helping to craft. His visual style and ability to create wild and very unique looks was one of the reasons fans came to really anticipate Del Toro’s take on Middle-earth. We wanted to see what he would do with the Elves and Dwarves and even Men, and we especially wanted to see what he would have come up with for all the monsters. When he finally had to leave the project because it was dragging on too long waiting for a green light, fans felt a sense of loss and mourned The Hobbit that could have been.
This is why Del Toro is perfect for this project. He already has a deep knowledge of the source material, including what can and can not be included legally, and he’s got designs that never got the see the light of day. Because Peter Jackson and WETA are not going to be involved in the Amazon Studios production, there is little reason to maintain strict adherence to the design motifs put in place for the various races. The only design features required are within Tolkien’s books, and beyond that, Del Toro will get to finally let loose with his own, distinct look and feel with very little constraint. What will his Numenor look like? Will we see a Northern Kingdom or meet a young Aragorn, as Thorongil, as he journey’s about Middle-earth learning the skills he will later need to become King?
Amazon has already announced that it will be developing a Lord of the Rings series set before the events of the original films. The company reportedly spent $250 million to acquire the rights alone and, according to that same report, marketing and productions costs for two seasons could raise the investment to $500 million. It is still unclear if these stories will be told in a series of anthology like episodes or story arcs, or if there will be a much wider, more epic scope to the narrative.
Amazon Studios will produce the series in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, book publishers HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema.
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Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.
So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Ambarussa
by: Laurelindorenan
I had a dream, little brother
A terror of the night
That when Father burned the swan-ships
In that fire dread and bright
You had crept aboard
To sleep over the waves
And that the flame-lit ocean
Was your grave.
I woke, by icy panic
Robbed of breath
But found you lay beside me, still
In sleep, not death.
Your face, a mask of quiet
That mine lacked
More peaceful than I’d seen
Since fire-words sealed our pact.
I was quick to Father’s oath
You took it slow
Slow to farewell our mother
Or to go.
And when the others left
We swore an oath
That death would take us
Neither one, or both.
Gone is the hope
I clung to when we came
I guess not what downfall
Our breath will claim
Though death will have its due
For our rash curse
We’ll breathe our last
Together, as our first.
~~ * ~~
Thèoden’s passing
by David McG.
As I lay here, body broken, bones shattered
I feel no pain.
I feel calm and strangely satisfied and at peace.
The soft grass comforts me as I feel the the presence of an old friend. Death.
Snowmane.
My most trusted of friends!
How far we have come to reach this, our moment of glory.
Will they remember how you smashed through spear and shield wall ?
Will they see how you never faltered or failed to rise to my demands?
Snowmane.
Broken now as am I and yet, in death, still my shield.
Tirelessly you rode through feared wood and plain to bear me here.
We broke the Haridrim ranks and took their Black Serpent banner.
My friend, my companion, my protector.
Èomer
Sister-son and blood of my blood.
I have led you to this place of death and destruction.
You have not faltered or strayed to the whispers of false allies as did I!
True and fearless you are, as befits a Lord of the Riddermark.
Èomer
Tall in the saddle you ride to lead the First Èored.
Fierce and proud you have honoured our Kin and fulfilled our pledges and oaths.
Kingly you are and King you will be, my beloved Sister-son.
Aragorn
Arisen we are, we riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds have been awoken to fire and slaughter.
Spear shaken and shield splintered,
A sword-day and a red day and the sun has risen!
Now at Gondor’s gate I lay here.
Aragorn
My eyes grow dim and Death stands over me.
I believe in you and kept faith with you, though you have yet to come.
But come you will, though we parted in doubt at the Dwimorberg were you sought the Dark Door.
Théodred
I see you there my son. Tall and proud and unscathed by the White Hand.
Yes I will willingly walk with you to the Golden Hall of Meduseld to join our fore fathers.
For I have killed the Black Serpent and regained my honour.
Thèodred
We go now in glory to join Bèma and Nahar in the everlasting hunt .
There we shall ride in the warm sun and oceans of green grass and forever watch over our people and lands.
I am ready now.
Èowyn
………………………Èowyn?
~~ * ~~
The Lay of King Brian
from the heart and hand of
Veracity O’M.
As Bilbo, so Brian
A man of comfort, conversation, and culinary interests
He would of frequent occasion gather to himself
those who were of like mind and likes
And on such times he told tales vere and feign
Tales of heroes, of maidens, of imps and animals
He sang oft of the fairy realm whence he journeyed
Many miles, many days, hardships and heartwarmings
Filled his time and his travel—of those he sang
To brothers, sisters, their children and his
And upon a magic fiddle he put forth his music
Music to conjour dreams, images fair and fantastic
Music to move the heart, well the eye, enchant the mind
Music, it is said, to coax animals of skills fantastic
To come close for conversation and company
Dragons, unicorns, pegacorns, and pegapigs
Hazirim that would dance and swoop in the heavens
And on the right note, would light close at hand
And listen, and look, and laugh
At his friends and at his tales
It (the fiddle!) has come to this humble brother of his
And from his hand it was set among the most valuable things
Found on earth or in heaven
Come if you would, and try your hand
And see if from the sky you could coax to your side
Dragons, unicorns, pegacorns and pegapigs
But, if you can, make sure you have tales fantastic to tell
As King Brian, whom we all miss so well.
~~ * ~~
A Legend from Times Forgotten
by: Quimey DA
Neither sword nor bow
Could tell the fate
Of those lands that
Where under moon, and under spell.
The brightest steel, of mighty spears
Could not undone, what had been made.
The kingdoms there, they felt the doom
And fear then, filled all their souls.
For It was made with malice great
The heart so dark, in turmoil burned.
The other one deceived and slain
His name preserved, beyond the times of mortal lands.
He looked for it, no rest no sleep
His army bound to the oath they took
To fear the One and to serve Him
Behind the walls, and towers dim.
It called him loud, He could not hear
But swift as wind, nine horses sped
To lands unknown, in quest for it
To look for him who stole the fire
And wields the wicked, almighty power.
~~ * ~~
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.
So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Continue reading “The Great Hall of Poets”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Posted in:
Share:
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.
So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Continue reading “The Great Hall of Poets”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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Welcome to TORn’s LotR: The Two Towers 15th Anniversary Redu
x of our TT Geeky Observations Lists. Last December (2016), we celebrated the FotR 15th Anniversary Redux of our FotR Geeky Observations Lists. This link will take you to that installment with the explanation of the madness that gives us “the lists!”
With the release of The Two Towers on December 18, 2002, TheOneRing.net’s Movie Discussion Board members continued the fun of gathering geeky observations for our TT list just as we did for FotR and RotK… and eventually for the 3 Hobbit movies; but we have about 11 more years to wait before they get properly reduxed 😉
As it happened with the FotR Geeky Observations List, the TT contributions began with the release of the trailers. We members poured over every frame and every utterance driven by the excitement of anticipating the movie’s imminent release. After we eventually got the extended DVD, we could really scrutinize every moment until the TT list grew to 468 items, with more to add!
Here are some examples of observations (lists do not include pictures):
While Sam and Frodo are sleeping and Gollum crawls down the mountain, their backpacks are on the wrong sides. Frodo is sleeping next to Sam’s backpack and vice versa.
There is a stool to the left of Théoden’s throne that is brought around to his right and used first by Gríma when the Fellowship arrives and then by Gandalf.
Théodred is buried with his helmet placed at his feet, holding his sword and also holding Simbelmynë in his hands. Théodred’s bier is made of shields lying across two long spears.
As with all of the geeky lists, one of the changes I made to the premise of the original list was to exclude any nit-picky or negative items. Considering everything Peter Jackson and the hundreds of people who made these films possible went through to create these three movies at one time… something never attempted before… I just didn’t think it was right. Those observations were for others to collect.
Because these lists are still active and growing all the time, feel free to share your own observations. Find me on the Boards where you can also access all of these links and more in the footer of my posts on The One Ring Forums Message Boards.
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