Silmarillion and the Silver Screen

[BigGangnam]

So with Lord of the Rings being a continued cinema showstopper even with...dubious quality entries in The Hobbit, talk has cycled for years about making a Silmarillion film. But given the rather extensive nature of the stories in the text, one has to wonder how such a tale could be compacted in three or more feature films?

Do we make a film each on the three major narrative player groups (Feanor, Beren/Luthien, and the forces of the Valar in the War of Wrath)? Do we go all Paradise Lost and make it about Morgoth and people's dealings with him? Focus on Numenor? Or just go full bunch of bananas and do a film on the Dagor Dagorath?

Discuss!

[SlackerinDeNile]

Or just not make a film of it altogether. I understand that seeing a lavish, big-screen adaption of your favourite books and comics can be an enticing treat but I've started to believe more and more that not every piece of literature should be turned into a motion adaption. I read all of Watchmen recently and loved it, I watched the movie soon after and whilst I didn't think it was bad, it lacked the depth of the comic, particularly where the darker themes and character psychology were concerned, atleast in my opinion. It's even worse with HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones which, despite somewhat effectively adapting the first two novels into the first two seasons, quickly degenerated into an over-the-top, gory schlock fest.

Now, how do you think a film adaptation of something as broad and complex as The Silmarillion would turn out?
I'm not going to blame any one person for the way that most film and TV show adaptions end up, they are a much more complicated affair than writing books and take far more people, money and resources to accomplish.

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

I'm not confident about how it would turn out. The Silmarillion has a lot of "dark and gritty" material, but it's essence/spirit is hugely dissimilar from Game of Thrones or other modern gritty fantasy. Shadow of Mordor tries dark and gritty, and the angsty story is the worst part about that game. The Hobbit adaption really failed to capture the spirit of that book either.

On the other hand, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was truer to the spirit of the novel than I could have hoped for (even if it necessarily couldn't capture everything), so you never know.

One problem is that The Silmarillion not really filled with a lot of dialogue, which would mean some screenwriter having to come up with a lot of stuff. And of course it doesn't have one unified plot. I don't really see what the common element would be to tie together a television/movie series, unless you just did standalone films that are loosely tied together. The Children of Hurin worked pretty well as a standalone novel, and I imagine that the upcoming Beren and Luthien release (June 1st!) will too. I don't think anyone could capture the beauty of Tolkien's creation myth (at least no one who would tackle the project).

All that is to say- I don't think The Silmarillion is unfilmable. It would be hard, but it would depend on how it's approached. And it would need to be put into very competent hands. The Tolkien Estate would be displeased regardless, I think.

[Dînadan]

Obviously you make it a ten film extravaganza with one whole film dedicated to the Elven dictionary in the appendix.

;p


Being serious, I'd rather it not be adapted. At least not with PJ at the helm. I just don't think it'll be done justice.

But if it were to be adapted I think the GoT route would be the better way to go with it being a TV series rather than a film series. That way each part can be done justice and it'll make it easier for those that haven't read the source material to follow; the problem with a film, even a trilogy, is that it'd probably end up with characters showing up for 5mins of screen time and then disappearing. With a tv adaption you could devote a season or even just a block of episodes to one passage or storyline and tell a more coherent storyline.

Failing that, if it *has* to be films, maybe select a few choice stories and film them independently and instead of presenting them as an adaption of the Silmarillion, present them as an anthology series of Middle-earth stories with no need to watch them all to know what's going on (e.g. there's no need to see the Luthien and Beren film to understand the Children of Hurin film).

[King of the owls]

Honestly? Like others have said I don't think a film would work out.(At best it would be a decent high fantasy flick general audiences won't really be in to, at worst it would the worst parts of the hobbit films combined with a incoherent script.) Now a mini series or even a Game of Thrones style TV series(in terms of budget not so much in sex/violence) would a great way to the Silmarillion justice. Or maybe even doing what Harry Potter is doing now. Make a film focused on one character or part of Middle Earth's history. (Though maybe not directed by Peter Jackson. I respect the man greatly and I actually do like the Hobbits films but I do think it would be best for the franchise if he stepped away from it for a while. )

[Admiral X]

Meanwhile I'm over here in the corner going, "man, so much stuff would make great anime."

Honestly, I hope they stop adapting Tolkien works to film. With The Hobbit turning out like it did, I feel things are bit over-saturated.

[Ordo]

Meanwhile I'm over here in the corner going, "man, so much stuff would make great anime."

Honestly, I hope they stop adapting Tolkien works to film. With The Hobbit turning out like it did, I feel things are bit over-saturated.

You're absolutely right, they should stop bothering with Cinema and instead focus on Video games.


youtu.be/o9D7RTPI7yM

[MithrandirOlorin]

I think it would be best to just do stand alone films of what Tokein considered the three core myths.

Beren and Luthien
The Children of Hurin
The Fall of Gondolin

[Karha of Honor]

Meanwhile I'm over here in the corner going, "man, so much stuff would make great anime."

Honestly, I hope they stop adapting Tolkien works to film. With The Hobbit turning out like it did, I feel things are bit over-saturated.

As long as it has brand recognition...

[King of the owls]

Meanwhile I'm over here in the corner going, "man, so much stuff would make great anime."

Honestly, I hope they stop adapting Tolkien works to film. With The Hobbit turning out like it did, I feel things are bit over-saturated.

That might actually work or maybe some sort of limited animated series focused on one myth.