Breaking news: rights to bring The Silmarillion to life have finally been released, but it’s not to any of the media giants you might have expected.
Ever since Prime Video started work on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, there has been much speculation and anticipation as to whether the Tolkien Estate would finally sell the rights to bring The Silmarillion stories to life. In an exclusive reveal, our friends at Middle-earth Enterprises have told us that it looks like that will happen now; but it is the folks behind The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale who have gained the long sought-after permission.
The recent revival of the musical, which features music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, has proved such a hit that it seems to have persuaded the Tolkien Estate that more live Middle-earth on stage could only be a good thing. The latest musical production began at The Watermill Theatre in the UK, in 2023; it has since played in Chicago, Auckland, and is currently touring in Australia, to great acclaim.
In addition, composer Paul Corfield Godfrey has in recent years been given permission by the Estate to release recordings of his operas based on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. This indicated to some that there was a move towards allowing more performance work based on the Professor’s writings; but this most recent announcement will nonetheless no doubt take folks by surprise.
Kip Rasmussen’s Eru and the Gods singing the First Song of Creation
What we’ve been told
The same composition and libretto team who brought us The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will now be creating The Silmarillion – An Adventure Three Ages in the Making (working title). It is as yet unconfirmed who the stage director and design team will be for this epic show, but we do know that producer Kevin Walrus is on board. He expressed his excitement to us, and hinted at the possibility for a series of shows:
We are thrilled to build on the global momentum that we’ve already seen in our world tour of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale production, with this expanded opportunity to play in the realms that Professor Tolkien created. Our first task will be to decide how many shows these new landscapes allow us to produce!
Rumour is that the production will open in New Zealand, sometime in late 2027. Middle-earth Enterprises’ Fredrica Doritos told us:
We know that the epic stories of the early ages of Middle-earth, found in The Silmarillion, are beloved by fans. The great drama, romance, peril and poetry of these tales makes them perfect for the stage; and the track record of the team who created The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale means that we know these sagas are in safe hands. We can’t wait to see Eru Ilúvatar and Manwë brought to life on stage. What song of Lúthien Tinúviel was powerful enough to lull Morgoth to sleep? Perhaps we’ll hear such a song in this stage show. We hope the fans will be as excited as we are, to see Fëanor forge his gems on stage.
We’ve also heard that artists already known for their Tolkien-inspired paintings may be brought in to be part of the design team. Could some of the folks whose masterpieces we’ve been enjoying in Middle-earth March Madness be part of these future shows? Certainly TORn friend Donato Giancola would make epic scenery designs; and Kip Rasmussen’s ‘Eru and the Gods singing the First Song of Creation’ would make a wonderful show poster.
Donato Giancola’s Beren and Lúthien in the Court of Thingol and Melian
We here at TheOneRing.net are very excited by the news of this forthcoming stage production (or productions!), and staffers have started speculating as to exactly which stories will appear on ‘the boards’. Look for more content to explore our thoughts; and of course we’ll bring you updates as we receive them.
In an ambitious endeavor combining classic literature with modern technology, Middle-earth Enterprises today unveiled Bridging the Ages, an innovative initiative that employs a cutting-edge AI system—codenamed Silmadur—to compose new narratives and expand upon the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Drawing on decades of fan curiosity and meticulously sourced Tolkien archives, Silmadur’s mission is to fill the long-surmised gaps in Middle-earth lore, while offering subtle, modernized readings of the original texts.
To create Silmadur, a specialized team of Tolkien scholars, archivists—including staff from TheOneRing.net—and AI experts spent two years assembling a comprehensive digital library of source materials. The dataset encompasses The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, as well as early drafts, marginalia, personal letters, lecture notes, and lesser-known writings. Previously unreleased texts, once locked away in private collections, were added alongside appendices, genealogical charts, and decades’ worth of fan analyses. By drawing on this extensive treasury, the developers aimed to ensure that Silmadur faithfully mirrors the depth and tone of Tolkien’s original vision when crafting new passages.
EXCERPT 1: “At sunrise, a solitary figure stood at the borders of Fangorn, holding a single bloom of yellow niphredil. Some say it was Quickbeam himself, tending a secret garden of the Entwives—at last discovered across the river.” – Silmadur’s ‘lost chapter’ on the fate of the Entwives
“Our hope is to illuminate corners of the legendarium that Tolkien left tantalizingly unexplored,” says Thomas Cressman, a representative for Middle-earth Enterprises. “From the lost lineages of Elven lords to passing mentions of vanished cities, there are countless threads, begging to be woven into a fuller tapestry.”
The Bridging the Ages initiative also involves creating “light-touch” revisions to Tolkien’s original texts—expanding genealogies, clarifying linguistic nuances, and elaborating on references left intentionally vague. The team insists that all of this respects Tolkien’s style while carefully modernizing certain language choices.
EXCERPT 2: “In a letter addressed to Aragorn, just days after the coronation, Éowyn recounted how dreams of the Witch-king’s final shriek still haunted her… until Faramir reminded her that courage can live on beyond fear, lighting a path through any darkness.” – Silmadur’s exploration of Éowyn and Faramir’s early marriage
“Far too often, fans get locked into gatekeeping over what can and can’t be done with these stories,” reflects Calisuri, co-owner and co-founder of TheOneRing.net. “We live in an age of creativity and technology—why not use an advanced AI trained on the entire Tolkien corpus to bring hidden narratives to light? It’s not about replacing the original texts – nothing will ever do that – but about enriching them for a new generation of readers.”
While Bridging the Ages and Silmadur remain in early development, those involved hinted that future plans include an AI-generated supplement to The Silmarillion—complete with newly “unearthed” letters between legendary Elven figures—and additional chapters that reach beyond the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings. Middle-earth Enterprises will share select previews of these expansions exclusively on TheOneRing.net in the months ahead.
For more details on this evolving project, and for a first look at Silmadur’s creations, stay tuned to TheOneRing.net. Additional updates, including genealogical diagrams and in-depth explorations of minor characters, are expected soon.
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our poetry feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. 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.
The Ride of Dernhelm
by: J Houdart
Across the sea of golden-grassed plain Sails Windfola, swift, bearing two without name In day yet darkened by menace unspoken Gentler lies are soon to be broken As on with the company, racing toward doom At the walls of yon city, be-circled with gloom Dernhelm the Silent keeps hidden his face But hides not his passion, his strength and fell grace.
To War! beats his heart, to Death! sings his sword But rides he in silence, without leave of his lord. Cloak-hidden, shadow-ridden he takes all care to be For the secret he keeps, his brothers must not see That secret he holds and another he bears Before him on Windfola: a small hobbit shares His duty and destiny, to great deeds they are called Upon Pelennor’s vast field before the prize thus high-walled.
For there in that doom a dark Power lay, waiting and coiled, whom no man can slay. How then can this man, fierce and strong though he be Strike true? End the terror? Make the walled city free?But that deed will soon come. Two wounds will be wrought One by hobbit, brave and true, a man and yet not And Dernhelm the Silent will give voice at last Striking true, Death banished back into the Past.
At great cost, that blow giv’n, yet hope will remain For the hero to sing and ride out free again But proud, hair unbound, laughter ringing and strong For the secret is done, surprise mingled with song As his helm is then moved, and his kinsmen find there True hero yet no brother: Eowyn the Fair.
~~ * ~~
Untitled
by: A Plume Cox
Your shields break beneath our blade We invade your sacred home Prepare to be crushed by our one crusade As we move along and roam. You call this land the southlands Now hear our volcano roar In the end you will not stand In the new land Mordor. Here the orcs roam all free In the fiery dark land Any human, elf or dwarf who enters will have to flea Or be scorched by Sauron’s hand.
And then there were eight… Middle-earth March Madness 2025: The Art of Middle-earth Round Four voting is open now! And we have a GIVEAWAY for you to enter! And if that were not enough, we have livestreams today and Tuesday with very special guests! Read on to find out more…
How the art works lined up in the Sweet Sixteen
The battles are getting closer; in Round Three, most victories were by a margin of less than 60%. The biggest conqueror was Matthew Stewart’s The Horn of Boromir, which took over 70% of the votes to defeat Michael Hague’s Rescued from Wolves. It seems people have a soft spot for art which echoes Peter Jackson’s movies.
The Horn of Boromir, by Matthew Stewart
In the Groups/Montages region, there was one match up which went right down to the wire. In the end, David Wenzel’s Gandalf at Your Service (from his The Hobbit graphic novel) beat Eric Velhagen’s Encounter at Amon Sûl. The charms of the Shire overcame the dynamic but violent battle with Ringwraiths – but by a margin of only 4% of the votes.
Gandalf at Your Service, by David Wenzel
So now we are down to the final pairing in each of our four regions. This Elite Eight features some big names in the world of Tolkien art; and some with which you may not be so familiar. Which will go all the way, to become the Grand Champion of 2025? If you can predict that, you might be one of our lucky winners!
Thanks to our good friends at Warner Bros. we have copies of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim to giveaway. (What better way to celebrate the Art of Middle-earth than with this epic anime film?) During the Elite Eight round, you can enter to be in with a chance of winning, by guessing which of the remaining masterpieces you think will be the ultimate victor. Simply complete this form with your prediction; once Middle-earth March Madness is over, we’ll pick winners at random from those who successfully predicted the Grand Champion. (Sorry, this giveaway is only open to residents of the USA or Canada.)
Then make sure to give your chosen winner the best chance, by VOTING!
How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on the button below. This will take you to the voting site, where you can view the entire bracket, and also view individual works in all their glory (and details of the artist). Place your votes for Round Four: Elite Eight!
Staffer Madeye Gamgee shares his thoughts on the pieces in the Elite (or ‘Elegant’ or ‘Engaging’) Eight:
In Landscapes, iconic Lord of the Rings scenes by incredible and well-know masters of their craft, Donato Giancola and Alan Lee. These two have emerged from possibly the strongest region, stacked with well-known artists and strong lesser know ones
In Story Moments, a focus on tragedy and death, curiously, whether it’s Boromir’s last tragic stand and redemption, or one of the darkest days (literally) in the story of the Silmarils, a mixture of beauty and Elven genocide.
-In Portraits, it’s light against dark in a battle of divine strength, with the fair (and powerful) River Daughter facing the specter of Morgoth, perhaps drawing inspiration from Luthien’s triumph in a similar artistic match
In Groups, perhaps a surprising and much more peaceful pairing, and all Shire-centric, with David Wenzel’s familiar meeting between Gandalf and Bilbo up against, well, who are those hobbits fishing by the little Shire river? It seems like a wonderful spot to look for a more peaceful adventure!
You have until the end of the day Tuesday April 1st to vote in Round Four; on Wednesday 2nd the Final Four will begin! But first – please join us TODAY, Sunday 30th, for a very special livestream. 3pm PST/6pm EST Ted Nasmith will join us, to discuss his incredible The Kinslaying of Alqualondë, which features in the ‘Story Moments’ bracket. Then join us again on Tuesday 1st April, when artist Donato Giancola will be with us during TORn Tuesday to discuss his masterpiece The Walls of Moria. We hope you’ll be there to hear from both these fantastic artists, as you make decisions on the Elite Eight round. And don’t forget to VOTE!
And just like that, we’re on to Round Three of Middle-earth March Madness 2025: The Art of Middle-earth. From 64 works of art which started in the four brackets, now we’re down to the Sweet Sixteen; and in this round, you only have three days to vote. Round Three voting is open now!
Round Two for the most part had pretty clear winners in the match ups. The one VERY close battle was between Angelo Montanini’s Radagast the Magician and Turner Mohan’s Lúthien and Morgoth. These two very different works were in a stalemate for most of the round. A brief flurry of votes in the final hour saw them continue to swap places for the lead, until finally, when voting closed, Mohan’s extraordinary work come out the victor – but by just ONE VOTE!
Lúthien and Morgoth by Turner Mohan
One perhaps surprising departure in Round Two was John Howe! His Barrels out of Bond was narrowly defeated by Kip Rasmussen’s Thingol and Melian, which claimed 56% of the vote. Both are gorgeous pieces; it just shows how difficult it is to choose when all these artists are so talented, and their visions are so different. It now looks like Alan Lee and Donato Giancola may meet in the Elite Eight, to decide the overall winner in the ‘Landscapes’ bracket; but first, they have to make it through this next round!
Thingol and Melian, by Kip Rasmussen
Some thoughts from staffer Madeye Gamgee on the contest so far:
In the Sweet 16, as far as book “Conferences” go, we have representation from:
The Silmarillion — 4
The Hobbit — 3
The Lord of the Rings – 9
We had some very familiar artists get knocked out of the tournament this round, including John Howe, Justin Gerard, Jerry VanderStelt, and Colleen Doran. Surviving are newer artists like Anna Lee, Edvige Faini, Soni Alcorn-Fender, and Eric Velhagen. Art from titans Donato Giancola and Alan Lee may be heading to a face-off in the Landscape finals. Can Ted Nasmith’s work prevail over less well-known but formidable competing artwork? Will the comfort of David Wenzel’s classic Hobbit graphic novel be enough to overcome what may be the most diverse group of competing artwork in the Groups/Montages region? It’s not getting any easier!
Take a look at the fours brackets as they now stand; which masterpiece do you think is en route to becoming to champion for 2025? As always, we encourage you to take some time enjoying the art, and perhaps follows some links to check out other works by the artists, before you place your next votes. (You can also always access the earlier rounds at the voting link; so all these incredible pieces are still there for your viewing pleasure!)
Decisions are getting harder, as the field narrows. How you make your choice is up to you!
How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on the button below. This will take you to the voting site, where you can view the entire bracket, and also view individual works in all their glory (and details of the artist). Place your votes for Round Three: Sweet Sixteen!
You have until the end of the day Saturday March 29th to vote in Round Two; on Sunday 30th we’ll open voting for Round Four! That Sunday, we’ll also have a very special livestream at 3pm PST, when none other than Ted Nasmith will join us, to discuss his ‘The Kinslaying of Alqualonde’, which features in the ‘Story Moments’ bracket – and he may even share some preliminary sketches with us! We hope you’ll join us for that, as you make decisions on the Elite Eight round; but first, go and examine the Sweet Sixteen! Vote well!
