Your weekly dose of all things The Lord of the Rings!
TORN Tuesday episode 709 covered discussions about an upcoming audio experience inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Silmarillion” and potential new Lord of the Rings media projects, including video games and radio plays. Hosts Justin & Clifford explored various casting and production updates for “The Rings of Power” series, including changes in leadership and speculation about character arcs. They also discussed recent developments in other fantasy properties like “The Witcher” and shared thoughts on various casting performances and character portrayals. Check out the recap from Bilbo’s Birthday Bash in Griffith Park 2025!
Summary
Silmarillion Soundscape Release
Justin and Clifford discussed the upcoming release of “The Soundscape of Ea,” an immersive audio experience inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Silmarillion.” Jordan Rannells, an artist and musician, created this soundscape, which requires listeners to play it alongside the Silmarillion audiobook for an enhanced experience. Clifford praised Jordan’s technical skills and artistic expression, emphasizing the significance of this independent project. The soundscape set released Wednesday, and Jordan was available in the live TORN Tuesday chat to answer questions. Additionally, Clifford hinted at a major announcement of his own…
Clifford shared his excitement about joining a Colorado-based audio collective led by Greg Tally called Collywood Studios, to produce radio plays including a parody of The Lord of the Rings.
Lord of the Rings Game Rumors and Middle-earth’s Game Potential
A new rumor about a new Lord of the Rings game is in development, potentially funded by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office with a $100 million budget, similar to Hogwarts Legacy. TORn Tuesday briefly compared the budgets of various video games and discussed the impact of political drama on Hogwarts Legacy’s reception. (14 minutes into the show)
Clifford and Justin discussed the potential for an action fantasy game set in the Lord of the Rings universe, focusing on the expansive world rather than limiting it to a single location like Hogwarts Legacy. They explored various areas of Middle-earth, such as Eriador, Rivendell, and Mirkwood, considering what each could offer in terms of gameplay and exploration. Justin suggested the idea of a game set in Angmar, where players could experience the world from the perspective of Sauron’s forces, while Clifford emphasized the appeal of exploring the diverse landscapes and cultures of Middle-earth. They also humorously considered a game where players could explore Minas Tirith as cats, using the same game engine as the cat game “Stray.”
Amazon Prime Studios Leadership Change
Amazon has appointed Peter Friedlander as the new head of Amazon Prime Studios, who will oversee the fate of Rings of Power, including decisions for seasons 4 and 5 and potential spin-offs. Justin noted that Friedlander, who previously oversaw major Netflix shows like Stranger Things and Wednesday, is expected to review Season 3 footage and may require reshoots or rewrites. The team discussed rumors that Ismael Cruz Cordova, a standout actor from the series, has wrapped his shooting for Season 3 early and may have reduced screen time compared to previous seasons. Additionally, filming for Season 3 was confirmed to be taking place at Hankley Common in England, with speculation that the location might represent the Brownlands in Middle-earth.
Rings of Power Season 3 Scoops
Clifford and Justin discussed the filming of Rings of Power Season 2, noting that a set depicting burned ruins and charred land was likely set in Mordor. They realized the footage was from October 2022, which was for Season 2, not Season 1 as initially thought. They also talked about recent scoops, including Jamie Campbell Bower’s limited scenes and Cirdan the Shipwright’s expected major role in Season 3. Clifford expressed excitement about learning more about Cirdan’s use of his ring in the series.
⭐️Question⭐️ “Who is your least favorite Tolkien character?”
Clifford and Justin discussed the potential inclusion of Celeborn and Glorfindel in the show, with Clifford expressing a preference for Celeborn to have his own storyline rather than being combined with Glorfindel. They noted that the cast, including Jamie Campbell Bower, Charles Edwards, and Sam Hazeldine, seemed to have issues with Celeborn, which Clifford found intriguing. Justin suggested that Jamie Campbell Bower’s recent tweet might be related to the character’s resurrection, similar to Glorfindel’s storyline. Clifford emphasized the importance of bringing ignored characters like Glorfindel and the Blue Wizards to life in the show, which he believed would earn the production more brownie points.
Community member Foedhrass got the ultimate photo op with Charles Edwards at MagicCon 2025!
The Witcher Casts Durin and Celebrimbor Rumors
Clifford and Justin discussed the casting changes in The Witcher, with Peter Mullan (Durin III) joining the cast, and shared their thoughts on Ozzy Osbourne’s tribute video to Lord of the Rings. They also celebrated Charles Edwards’ birthday, acknowledging his performance as Celebrimbor in The Rings of Power and his previous role in The Crown. Justin encouraged fans to show support for Charles Edwards on social media, and Clifford expressed his admiration for Edwards’ portrayal of Celebrimbor, noting its differences from his initial expectations.
Clifford and Justin ended the show revisiting rumors about Celebrimbor’s potential return in Season 3 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” focusing on the possibility of his soul remaining in Mandos while his body is reanimated by Sauron’s dark magic. They explored the implications of this concept, including the limitations of using an animated corpse for knowledge and the show’s need to avoid copying controversial ideas from video games. The hosts also touched on other topics like the mystery surrounding Jamie Campbell Bower’s role in the series. Is he Glorfindel or Celeborn, or maybe a new form of Sauron?
It’s almost time – time for 64 contenders to start out on an epic quest, to discover who (or what) will be the Champion of Middle-earth March Madness 2022!
We’ll be revealing the theme of this year’s contest next week, on TORn Tuesday (March 15th). As last year, we’ll also have a ‘Wild Card’ round, where you can vote between two entries which narrowly missed the cut for the original brackets, and decide which entry the chosen one will replace. Round One of the contest will then begin on March 22nd; and the final round will end on April 4th, in line with the ‘real’ March Madness.
Joanna Robinson with Justin Sewell and Clifford Broadway of TORN Tuesday
Below are some highlights from last night’s conversation. Watch the entire interview on TORn Tuesday’s YouTube channel.
[Note: The conversation has been edited down from the original due to space.]
Justin: Are the articles speculation on your part, or are you hinting at stuff you’ve actually seen? Joanna: In the cover story … and the article that I put up, the “questions answered” one … hardly any is speculation, um, if I’m saying something I’m saying something … when I put down here’s what I asked … then I printed word-for-word the answer I got.
Justin: Was there any discussion with the showrunners of, you know, a certain level of faithfulness? Joanna: … they’re not deviating from that core lore …
Justin: Is the sword that we see Narsil? Joanna: I’m gonna go and be safe and say pretty sure.
Justin: Can you provide any reaction to Lenny Henry as a Harfoot? Joanna: That is something that I would love to see.
Justin: Was the first teaser photo from last summer of the two trees in Tirion, was that intentional misdirection? Joanna: No
Justin: There’s so much comment about hair … let me start with Galadriel’s hair … Joanna: … fandoms are not a monolith, and what one person wants in the fandom is not what another person wants with the fandom … I tend to be very CG resistant in general … when we got to the Harfoots in the episodes I saw … that felt so Willow to me, and that is the highest compliment I can give anything … Do people really want a glow filter on Galadriel all the time? … The hair that you see in the photos and footage that you’ve seen is accurate to what I’ve seen … [but] I have not seen all the finished digital effects …
Joanna: I think the casting of Morfydd Clark is incredible because she’s not super well-known, though if you haven’t seen Saint Maude I really recommend you go see it because she is astonishing in that, and if you want to like get a preview of how, uh, you know a Galadriel that might go toe-to-toe with Cate Blanchett going like photo negative in The Fellowship of the Ring, like, that’s the performance that she gives in that film … she’s such a perfect casting for this because people … aren’t coming in with preconceived notions of her … so she can just become Galadriel.
Justin: What are those people with the antlers? Joanna: Here is what I can say about that, don’t worry too much about it. Justin: Are they an integral part of the story? Joanna: Don’t worry too much about it. They’re a very cool visual. It’s a very cool, practical effect visual.
Joanna: Does hair play an important part in the narrative? Joanna: Like Elf hair? As far as I know, no … I didn’t ask this question specifically … but as far as the story that I’ve seen so far, it does not seem to be related to the plot … I’m guessing … it’s an aesthetic decision.
Cliff: [There’s] all this Galadriel focus … but where’s Celeborn? Joanna: I haven’t seen him. Cliff: They’re saving him for a later season perhaps? Joanna: That would be my guess.
Justin: Is there a vibe of a CW show? Joanna: No. No. No. … that’s the concern that surprised me the most … attached to Bronwyn and Arondir, that people were like, oh, are they giving a CW … this idea of sort of star-crossed lovers is a recurring theme in Tolkien’s work … the rarity of those pairings … is what makes them so special … I can understand why, you know, a slightly forbidden romance would be part of it because that’s a theme that Tolkien was interested in. But it doesn’t smack of CW to me at all.
TORN: Is it possible this only gets one season? Joanna: Zero percent … they payed so much money for this, are you kidding me?
Joanna: There was the Covid, and the question was did they reconfigure the whole show when they shot the back end of the first season, what did they do during that Covid time? … did their understanding of what they want to do with the show fundamentally change? I can only give you the answer that JD and Patrick gave me … They said nothing fundamentally changed, in they plotted out their first season, and nothing … changed in the Covid pause … They took time during the Covid pause to map out Season Two … there wasn’t any massive structural changes. The other misapprehension that I’ve seen floating around is this idea that the first two episodes are sort of one thing, and then the rest of the season is something else. That’s not the case at all. It’s one flowing story. TORN: It’s not a two hour prologue? Joanna: It’s not … Cliff: Even in the new article it says there aren’t many time jumps aside from the first two episodes. Joanna: Am I saying there is no, uh, First Age stuff in this at all? No, Amazon has already told you that there is. But it’s not a massive prologue. No.
Justin: Jeff Bezos said early on ‘bring me the next Game of Thrones‘, and then they got Bryan Cogman the lore expert on Game of Thrones … Joanna: Bryan also happens to be a really good friend of mine … I’m a huge fan of his … I can see his fingerprints on it [The Rings of Power], but he was very clear he was only there in a consulting position right at the beginning. Cliff: … it led to worry … about the probability of nudity or sexualized elements to the story… Joanna: I don’t think Cogman or anyone in that writers’ room, and there’s so many smart, talented writers in that writers’ room, I don’t think any of them wanted to do like orgies in Middle-earth, ever, or anything like that.
Justin: A lot of people say it doesn’t look like there was a plan…did you get a sense that there is a five season plan? Joanna: I can’t say that for certain, but when they offered up their roadmap … 4-5 big stories they’re interested in telling, involving like Númenor and Sauron and the forging of the rings, and … I think the end after that, right, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. I think they have the major beats of the whole story laid out.
Durin IV played by Owain Arthur
Cliff: The novelty [of seeing the seven clans of dwarves and their lords] is the most powerful draw for me personally. Joanna: They [the showrunners] are interested in showing us a wide array of cultures of Middle-earth in a wide array of locations … I gasped when I saw Khazad-Dûm, like when I saw the first shot … sort of descending into Khazad-Dûm … I was dazzled by it, and they built that, I know they built that, […] they told me they did.
Joanna: I found a question I feel really comfortable answering … did I have a favorite performance so far? I think Markella Kavenagh who plays Nori Brandyfoot the Harfoot, she’s my standout by far. I just loved everything that she did … and I think stories about Elves and Men and Dwarves are … fun and interesting, but for me, it doesn’t really feel like it’s Tolkien without a Hobbit or Harfoot there, and I feel like once she showed up I was like I’m locked in, I get it. Cliff: But we have to acknowledge it is a bit of a lore squeeze. Joanna: Yup Justin: That’s the fear that a lot of fans have, that there’s so much good stuff in the Second Age, they don’t want this show to be told from the Harfoots’ perspective. Joanna: I don’t think its accurate to say it’s told from the Harfoots’ perspective – the Harfoots that we see are nomadic, and they have a rule they don’t engage with the bigger folk … You’re not going to see a Harfoot forging the rings or fighting a Balrog or anything like that as far as I know … they are not bending the text that far. Justin: Is the show being told from a certain perspective? Joanna: Amazon is very careful over and over again to call this an ensemble cast, and I don’t think it’s inaccurate … Amazon wants everyone to be in on the show, they want the deep dive lore loving […] people excited, and there’s so many little details in there that I think are gonna make people who are engaging on that level excited, but they want those people [fans of the Jackson films] excited, too … I wouldn’t say this is Galadriel’s show, or this is the Harfoots’ show, or Elrond’s show, or this is the Númenor show.
Markella Kavenagh who plays Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot
Justin: Can you help fans reconcile the idea that they’re creating new characters? Joanna: If you were just reading the Appendices of what happened in the the LotR trilogy … a character like Rosie Cotton … a character like that is not a big part of the history that you boiled down for the Appendices … but if you’re putting together the whole world, um, you want your Rosie Cotton since she’s important to matters … The Nazgûl, the nine kings, we know so little about them, right? So doesn’t the Amazon show have a really rich opportunity to introduce us to all of those men, and so that when they fall, it is a tragic story? … so when we lose them we will feel the loss of them. That’s pure speculation, but that’s I think a justifiable reason to add nine characters we may or may not have names for … The way they want to present Isildur … let’s spend time with Isildur … so that when it all shakes out the way it does, we really feel that. I find that kind of story-telling really interesting.
Justin: I hear the loin cloth we see on meteor man was a CG. Joanna: Honestly classic … If you’ve got a young actress and an adult man … [the intimacy coordinator might have been for Nori so she would feel comfortable.]
Joanna: Is your question, do I know who Sauron is after three episodes? Justin: Yeah, let’s go there. [Joanna pulls a red card that indicates she can’t answer in front of her face.] Justin: Well there you go.
Justin: Any hints that WETA workshop is involved? [Joanna pulls the red card in front of her face.]
Joanna: I’ll be really curious to see if we’ll be able to tell a demonstrable difference between the seasons shot in England and those shot in New Zealand … JD and Patrick said ‘Our characters are on the move, so you’ll understand it will make sense that maybe we won’t have access to the same vistas’ – I’m paraphrasing.
Justin: There’s a fear that if they share crews because they’re in the UK, it will look like other shows. Joanna: They are building a home studio in the UK … it will make production easier … In terms of will this show look like the Witcher or Wheel of Time … These are portraits [the posters and photos in Vanity Fair], they’re not the moving images that you’re going to see … When I saw the Wheel of Time screeners that we got which were finished … I spent a long time thinking about why that film, that show, didn’t look as good as I thought it should … there was something slightly off, I thought … it looked ‘costume-e-y’ … I did not feel that way watching [Amazon’s] The Lord of the Rings footage.
Justin: Are there any photos that almost made the cut? Joanna: There were many, many, many, many, many … conversations about … which photos were going to be in this piece and which weren’t … we had a beautiful portrait of Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad … I love all the photos … I would have put like all the photos we got [in the article] … I want to give you every single name of every single actor playing every single character … Amazon is like, hey, it’s February, we want to keep doling these cookies out … and let other outlets have some fun in sharing.
Justin: Cliff, what is your one ask? What do you wish you would have seen? Cliff: I want to see Celebrimbor with a hammer and tongs working over some molten ring-making chaos. I want to see the Elven smiths behind him watching, learning while he’s doing this ring-craft, and then, into the frame, reaches one long, slender hand with the golden robe and guiding Celebrimbor’s hand to a different position with the tongs … I want to see Annatar teaching Celebrimbor this most specific thing.
Justin: Can you give us one no context spoiler? Joanna: Oh that’s really fun! Hmmm … I’m sorry; if I come up with something, I’ll tweet it to you…
Cliff: We’re on the threshold … I’m going to quote Dune … “A beginning is a very delicate time…”
