In The Media: What Say You?

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[Anduin]

It's moving back to Kiwiland. Specifically, Auckland. Apparently preproduction started over a year ago. Thanks to Adam Whitehead.

Y'know, NZ is closer to Australia than Scotland, making it potentially easier for me to visit and spy on the set. Furthermore, it already looks like Middle-earth. There would be a lot of institutional and actual knowledge of how to do LOTR things. So I suppose this is good.

Still no experienced producer attached. I liked a tweet from JMS a couple of weeks ago.

Quote

I would give a lung to do LOTR as a series. Preferably yours, but it's the thought that counts.

Edited June 30, 2019 by Anduin
Forgot the links.

[BetterButter]

‘The Lord Of The Rings’: J.A. Bayona To Direct Amazon Series

[BetterButter]

‘Lord of the Rings’ Series at Amazon Taps First Cast Member

[BetterButter]

[Haleth]

Sounds like a great team but I still can't get over Tyra.  Tyra?

[Anduin]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

Sounds like a great team but I still can't get over Tyra.  Tyra?

Adam Whitehead thinks it's a code, she might be playing one of the queens of Numenor. Numenorean monarchical names all had the Tar- prefix. Or she might be one of the other established women from the time period. Only time will tell.

I'm cautiously optimistic about these writers. Some have experience as producers, which was needed.

[MissLucas]

Yeah, Tyra has to be code. My money's on young Galadriel, if you squint she does look a bit like Cate Blanchett. Also: Numenorians had dark hair, even their distant heirs were dark-haired. Not that that bothered Jackson when he cast Boromir and Faramir.

[MissLucas]

So, here are some tidbits about what they can do and what not - in my opinion that's all pretty vague and I don't like the part about 'inventing characters'. It's not as if Tolkien hasn't produced enough characters already - just ask C.S. Not another f**** Elf! Lewis. But since they are bound to the Second Age focusing on Nùmenor they probably need to fill in the tales with a couple of common people to go along with all the Tars.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/09/amazons-new-lord-of-the-rings-cannot-use-much-of-tolkiens-plot (and that's one misleading headline).

And once again the story I would really like to hear in detail won't make it: what happened to Arnor. Tolkien left that all pretty vague but there are several starting points for great plots: the rise of the Witch-king and Angmar, what happened in the Barrow-Downs and who the hell owned that green brooch??? *sigh*

As for the promo clip: I don't recall ever seeing a promo about a show that focused so much on the production team and their accolades. Amazon seems keen to convince everybody that they know what they are doing. 

[Haleth]

28 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

And once again the story I would really like to hear in detail won't make it: what happened to Arnor. Tolkien left that all pretty vague but there are several starting points for great plots: the rise of the Witch-king and Angmar, what happened in the Barrow-Downs and who the hell owned that green brooch??? *sigh*

That would be great. (I actually got out my copy of ROTK to check the timeline to make sure that wasn’t Third Age.). I’m excited about Numenor though, as long as it’s not a retread of King’s Landing. 

[BetterButter]

‘Lord of The Rings’ Series at Amazon Casts Will Poulter

[MissLucas]

Hmm, looks more like an Elf than a Nùmenorian.

[BetterButter]

Amazon's Lord Of The Rings show gets Game Of Thrones' Joseph Mawle

[Anduin]

3 minutes ago, BetterButter said:

Amazon's Lord Of The Rings show gets Game Of Thrones' Joseph Mawle

I have no idea why, but I get either a Feanor or Sauron vibe from him.

[Anduin]

This might be good news. The show has been renewed for season 2 already, but that means a hiatus in the S1 filming schedule. So it seems we're getting S2 earlier than we would otherwise, at the expense of a later S1.

Personally, while I can see the logic in renewing the show and getting going on S2, I'd rather see S1 sooner and then a longer break between.

[BetterButter]

‘The Lord Of The Rings’: Ema Horvath Joins Cast Of Amazon Series

[BetterButter]

Will Poulter Exits ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Amazon Series

[BetterButter]

Amazon's Lord Of The Rings series casts its Galadriel

[Anduin]

Morfydd Clark. Someone had better make an audio clip of how to pronounce that, because Wales is the nation where Aiofe is apparently pronounced Efa.

[MissLucas]

Well, she certainly looks the part (and by that I don't mean just resembling Cate Blanchett) and Tolkien would probably approve of a Welsh Galadriel.

Meanwhile: this does not sound like a casting call for Nùmenorians (starts at 2:18).

[BetterButter]

Amazon Announces Its ‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast Members, Which Are Mostly New Faces

[Anduin]

4 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Amazon Announces Its ‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast Members, Which Are Mostly New Faces

Some interesting picks there. And I do mean interesting. Not code. I probably wouldn't have gone for some of them myself, but I want to see the show so very much.

Also, Nazanin Boniadi is really pretty and I'm shallow. 🙂

[rove4]

15 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Amazon Announces Its ‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast Members, Which Are Mostly New Faces

Young Ned Stark!

[Meredith Quill]

On 1/15/2020 at 1:27 AM, BetterButter said:

Amazon Announces Its ‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast Members, Which Are Mostly New Faces

 

On 1/15/2020 at 4:57 PM, rove4 said:

Young Ned Stark!

And Benjen Stark!

[Anduin]

Is it weird to be excited about two actors hanging out in a nondescript location? I realise that this might have been right after auditions, or right after getting off the plane to NZ, or any other time. But I'm excited anyway.

By the way, are there any sites that keep track of which actors are heading where when? I don't even know if they've gone to NZ yet.

Update: Megan Richards has a pic of her with Markella Kavenagh, and her in a place called Raglan. When I google Raglan, the first hit is in Kiwiland! Is that all it takes to stalk... er, get confirmation? Instagram and google? It feels surprisingly easy. Not that I'm complaining. I don't want it to be harder, because I'm lazy. 🙂

Edited February 16, 2020 by Anduin

[Anduin]

I was weak and went looking for news. Turns out I was right, filming has begun. OneRing.net has a tiny bit of info. But I'm going to try and stay strong from now, and stick to official sources. It's a heavy burden, but I will endure. I must.

[Anduin]

Filming has been put on hold for two weeks. On the bright side, NZ is a pair of small and remote islands. There's less potential for trouble. Compare Wheel of Time, filmed on the European mainland.

[rmontro]

On 3/15/2020 at 5:31 PM, Anduin said:

Filming has been put on hold for two weeks. On the bright side, NZ is a pair of small and remote islands. There's less potential for trouble. Compare Wheel of Time, filmed on the European mainland.

That's the first I've heard that they were filming a Wheel of Time series.  A friend of mine has always recommended I read that series, but I never did because I'm a slow reader, and Jordan's books are very long, and there are a lot of books in the series.  Plus I was afraid Jordan might die before he finished them, which unfortunately happened.  I'd probably watch the TV series though, since I'll have to sign up for Prime to watch LOTR.

Two weeks could turn into months, who knows?  Plus from what I heard, the Walking Dead finale was delayed because the post production special effects couldn't get done on time, because of the virus.  A similar thing could happen here.  This show will probably be like Gandalf, I'll expect it when I see it.

 

[Anduin]

Funny, news broke just the other day. NZ is corona clear. TV & movie production can resume. However, the trick is getting the cast and crew back. Not every nation is dealing with it the same way.

However, Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world. He can afford to send private cars and planes to collect said cast and crew. Will he? We can only hope.

[Anduin]

Just a reconfirmation that the cast and crew can head to Kiwiland and production can resume. You may ask why I'm essentially posting the same news again. It's because I can't bloody help myself. My hype level is through the roof and I have to share. It's like an old joke that comes to mind. Do I treat it with the same importance as religion? Oh no, it's far more important than that.

[Anduin]

Nazanin Bonadi wonders about suitcases, while JA Bayona greets Aukland. I know what you're thinking. But the only way I can manage my hype levels is by posting these micro-updates and getting everyone else hyped too. Feel free to mute me until we hear more substantial news. I would probably mute myself if positions were reversed. 🙂

[Anduin]

Cast news! According to an unofficial Instagram account, Georgie Oulton and Lara Liew have joined the cast. They're both followed on IG by several other cast members, which makes it good enough for me. As is the way of things, fans are often a better source of information than official accounts.

I think this is Oulton's IMDB. There's two Oultons. Neither one has a photo, so it's a bit of a guess. But Liew was on Kiwi soap Shortland Street, which makes it a safe bet.

One day I must do a full post of LOTR show people on social media.

[Anduin]

Theonering.net did a video for DragonCon, talking about news and upcomings. At about 32 minutes in, they give us 3.5 new names! Ben Fransham, Simon Merrells, Anson Boon. Possibly Kaya Scodelario. She talked about flying to the other side of the world, but I think that's Resident Evil in South Africa. We'll see.

[Anduin]

Morfydd Clark interview. She doesn't say much about the show, but she mentions she's a fan of the movies and shares an interesting bit of production.

Quote

The amount of [people working] on this show is continually mind-blowing. One guy’s job consists just of seeing how dust reacts to footsteps and breath! That would never have even crossed my mind before. Other than something like Marvel, I don’t think things could get much bigger than this.

That is incredibly fiddly. I hope he enjoys such an odd role.

[rmontro]

On 9/17/2020 at 6:46 PM, Anduin said:

Morfydd Clark interview. She doesn't say much about the show, but she mentions she's a fan of the movies and shares an interesting bit of production.

That is incredibly fiddly. I hope he enjoys such an odd role.

Anything to get into show business I guess.  I wonder what that job title is?  Dust expert?  Dust wrangler?  Janitor?

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, rmontro said:

Anything to get into show business I guess.  I wonder what that job title is?  Dust expert?  Dust wrangler?  Janitor?

I like the sound of dust wrangler.

[Anduin]

Another cast member. According to Redanian Intelligence, Amelie Child-Villiers popped down to Kiwiland for a spot of filming. That's a long way to go from Britain if it isn't a decent part. Especially for a 12 year old. I haven't looked her up on social media, because I don't want to feel like a creep. I'm basing her age on this page, which says she's part of the aristocracy.

The Redanians also claim that Weta and Howard Shore might be involved. That's fair enough. I have quibbles with the Jackson movies, but those are all story-based.

Now I'm tempted to follow RI, but I'm in two minds about spoilers. Part of me wants to be surprised and delighted, part of me wants to know everything NOW. We'll see.

[Haleth]

The Shore score (heh) was perfection.

[Anduin]

So, I just dragged my ears through the new video from theonering.net. Here's what they claim: the pilot may have had some recasting. That's fair enough, the Buffy and Game of Thrones pilots had some, that I remember. There are probably others too. Parts of the pilot may be reshot. Again, fair enough. Dr Who, Buffy, and GOT went through reshoots. There will be big-name stars who haven't actually been filmed yet. I thought the plan was to stock it with character actors and HITGs, but plans can change.

However, apparently there have been problems with the show, so other production companies may be coming on board to help. Including, to my worry, Bad Robot. I only really know JJ's work, but it doesn't inspire confidence.

There's a casting agency in NZ looking for extras comfortable with nudity. That's concerning. There's certainly arguments to be made in favour of nudity in Middle-earth. I'm thinking of a picture I can't find right now. The elves awakening at Cuiviénen. Not the Nasmith one. John Howe? But I feel that sex scenes for example don't fit.

Apparently when the pilot is complete, it'll have to be shown to certain people for approval. Who? They don't say. Maybe the Tolkien Estate. Maybe Amazon higher-ups. But they don't say for sure.

Theonering.net will have something big on Monday. No hints as to what. But that's my birthday, precious, and I'm planning on taking a day off social media. Could some kind soul please repost the news here?

But let's finish with some good news! From Nazanin Boniadi, today is the day! And she provides some appropriate Hobbity-style music.

[rmontro]

On 9/29/2020 at 11:51 PM, Anduin said:

There's a casting agency in NZ looking for extras comfortable with nudity. That's concerning. There's certainly arguments to be made in favour of nudity in Middle-earth. I'm thinking of a picture I can't find right now. The elves awakening at Cuiviénen. Not the Nasmith one. John Howe? But I feel that sex scenes for example don't fit.

There is some nudity in LOTR, although there isn't any sex.  I recall the hobbits bathing at Buckland and at Tom Bombadil's house.  Of course there was nothing explicit.  So if they're planning on making the nude version of The Silmarillion or whatever I agree it's a bad idea.  Tolkien was a very moral man, and I doubt he'd want to see his mythology used as titillation.  Of course just because there may be some nudity doesn't mean they will use it inappropriately.  But it makes you wonder.

[Anduin]

12 minutes ago, rmontro said:

There is some nudity in LOTR, although there isn't any sex.  I recall the hobbits bathing at Buckland and at Tom Bombadil's house.  Of course there was nothing explicit.  So if they're planning on making the nude version of The Silmarillion or whatever I agree it's a bad idea.  Tolkien was a very moral man, and I doubt he'd want to see his mythology used as titillation.  Of course just because there may be some nudity doesn't mean they will use it inappropriately.  But it makes you wonder.

Yeah, it's an interesting matter. A couple of days after that, one of the writers posted about how people will believe anything posted on the net. After OneRing.net commented on that, she later denied she was talking about the nudity rumours. So right now, I have no idea what to think. I suppose it's best to hold and wait for more solid news.

[MissLucas]

On 9/30/2020 at 5:51 AM, Anduin said:

There's a casting agency in NZ looking for extras comfortable with nudity. That's concerning. There's certainly arguments to be made in favour of nudity in Middle-earth. I'm thinking of a picture I can't find right now. The elves awakening at Cuiviénen. Not the Nasmith one. John Howe? But I feel that sex scenes for example don't fit.

 

Hmm, I remember a Tolkien Art gallery with lots of fan art - there was at least one artist who enjoyed her elves on the frisky side but that required some artistic licence.

This lengthy essay on TheOneRing.net is an interesting take on the subject. I'm not getting worked up about the whole thing anymore (been there done that with various aspects of the movies). It's clear to me that in post-GOT times no one is going to produce a fantasy based show adhering to strict rules of high fantasy.

[rmontro]

On 10/24/2020 at 7:12 AM, MissLucas said:

I'm not getting worked up about the whole thing anymore (been there done that with various aspects of the movies). It's clear to me that in post-GOT times no one is going to produce a fantasy based show adhering to strict rules of high fantasy.

I'm not a fan of the nudity.  Can you imagine Elrond lounging around in bed after a one night stand with some she-elf?  Just doesn't seem necessary, and I doubt Tolkien would approve.  But obviously there was sex in Middle-Earth, look at all the kids Sam and Rose had.

I was recently comparing the subtleties of Tolkien's writing with the films, and there really is no comparison.  Nothing can even come close to Tolkien's books.  But I know a lot of people are fans of the movies, or became fans through the movies, and that's not a bad thing.  Whatever happens with the series, we always have the books, and they will remain untainted.

Edited November 14, 2020 by rmontro

[AnimeMania]

On 11/14/2020 at 1:25 PM, rmontro said:

I'm not a fan of the nudity.

Sometimes people just want to know does the carpet match the feet?

[Anduin]

We have new cast members! A whole bunch of them! A few I knew before, but less than half. It's going to be a busy day tracking down all their social meda accounts.

[rmontro]

On 12/3/2020 at 4:45 PM, Anduin said:

We have new cast members! A whole bunch of them! A few I knew before, but less than half.

You did better than I did.  I haven't heard of a single one of them.

[Anduin]

22 minutes ago, rmontro said:

You did better than I did.  I haven't heard of a single one of them.

Not even Lenny Henry? Okay, he was bigger back in the 90s.

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, Anduin said:

Not even Lenny Henry? Okay, he was bigger back in the 90s.

I Googled him, he looked vaguely familiar, but no.  The problem is I just haven't watched any of the shows these people were in.  That's okay, I'll know them from LOTR.

[Anduin]

2 hours ago, rmontro said:

I Googled him, he looked vaguely familiar, but no.  The problem is I just haven't watched any of the shows these people were in.  That's okay, I'll know them from LOTR.

Fair enough. I only recognised him and Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who I haven't seen,b ut the name sounds familiar. Anyway, yeah. It'll be good to see a new show stuffed full of new faces, except I now follow them all on social media anyway. Ah well. 🙂

[paigow]

22 minutes ago, Anduin said:

Fair enough. I only recognised him and Cynthia Addai-Robinson

She was a regular cast member of Spartacus so sword fighting and archery are not new to her...