The Silmarillion Movie: Will it ever be made?

[Olorgando]

We will never know, unless there is some sort of alternate universe where say Guillermo Del Toro directed it, but I hope you understand why I stand by Peter Jackson being the best person for the job.

I have repeatedly posted that other versions, by other directors / producers / scriptwriters could have been worse.
But I would reformulate "best" as "lesser of two ..." or perhaps "least of X evils".
And all of this is from a "book-nerd", most of us probably belonging to the "read the book first" set, point of view.
The film-only set probably are puzzled what all the excitement, even furor is about ... 🥺

 

[Turin_Turambar]

Is silmarillion film made one day? Or is there no such possibility? Is it true that christopher Tolkien had an agreement before he died that there would be no film series adaptations about the silmarillion until 100 years after his death?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I hadn't heard that, though it has been stated here that Amazon was prohibited from adapting anything about the First Age, so it's possible.

There is at least one thread around here somewhere discussing possible ways Sil could be adapted. I can't seem to locate it at the moment, but you can look for it, if you're curious.

Never know what you'll turn up.😊

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

Combined Echtelion's thread with this one since it's basically the same question

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Aha -- you found it.

Demonstrating once again that you're a much better searcher than I am. 😁

 

[Melkor]

I would like to see Quenta Silmarilion as TV series, but just in case that it will do it someone passionate about Tolkien's universe, someone who can make it justice. Which seems almost impossible. I think that it can be filmed, but as I said before, this must be made with love. If not, it will be trash.

 

[m4r35n357]

Film/TV or it didn't happen!

 

[Goku da Silva]

The whole book is too grand(and at the same time imcomplete) for any film or trilogy, but why not adapt parts of it like the ones we have the whole story, for example: The sons of Húrin?🙏

 

[Olorgando]

The whole book is too grand(and at the same time imcomplete) for any film or trilogy, but why not adapt parts of it like the ones we have the whole story, for example: The sons of Húrin?🙏

Húrin only had one son, Túrin, the oldest child. The other two children were the first daughter, Urwen, called Lailath ('Laughter'), who died in infancy from a plague that came out of Angband, and the second daughter Nienor, later called by Túrin, who didn't realize she was his sister, Niniel ('Tear-maiden').
🤨

 

[CirdanLinweilin]

I hope no one ever tries to make film versions of these tales. They would almost certainly turn the earliest stories into something silly looking. Consider every movie that has ever been made with gods and goddesses as main characters. They all look ridiculous.

View attachment 9188

Not a movie or show but the Game series God of War does deities extremely well.


CL

 

[Bellerophon]

I thought the film adaptions of LOTR were brilliant, but the Hobbit was a travesty. The story was spread too thinly and the action scenes ridiculous. I an thinking particularly of the chase through the goblin mines where all the characters get up unharmed after a fall of 100ft (several times).

With the Silmarillion the narrative content is enough for 10 films but the condensed nature of the writing would require filling out. Who could do that?

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

No or it should be a part of elite culture (not a new blockbuster). It should be as perfect and deep film as movies by Tarkovsky.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

If you mean a smaller, art film, I'm afraid any Tolkien "property" -- to use the industry term -- would be far too valuable to be anything but a megamillion-budget project, should the estate ever agree to sell the rights.

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

If you mean a smaller, art film, I'm afraid any Tolkien "property" -- to use the industry term -- would be far too valuable to be anything but a megamillion-budget project, should the estate ever agree to sell the rights.

I respect your opinion, but if the film adaptation of "Silmarillion" is suitable for millions of people, there will be risk that the movie won't be as good for those who are really interested in Tolkien (like us).

 

[Olorgando]

I respect your opinion, but if the film adaptation of "Silmarillion" is suitable for millions of people, there will be risk that the movie won't be as good for those who are really interested in Tolkien (like us).

Agreed. But that's exactly what happened with LoTR and TH, much more massively for the latter.
And while Amazon isn't filming The Sil, rather something about the Second Age, I vaguely remember that they paid some hefty sums for the rights. Their "advantage" is that there are huge gaps in details of the Second Age, much more so than for TH, so they can (I hesitate to say "have to") invent a lot of stuff.

This one invention did raise a lot of eyebrows, I'd guess - young Galadriel?:

https://thetolkien.forum/threads/lord-of-the-rings-on-prime-updates-thanks-varking.23922/post-529377

And since we're talking about pay TV, the suspicion that Amazon are aiming for a "Game of Thrones 2.0" comes naturally, at least to me.

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

Agreed. But that's exactly what happened with LoTR and TH, much more massively for the latter.
And while Amazon isn't filming The Sil, rather something about the Second Age, I vaguely remember that they paid some hefty sums for the rights. Their "advantage" is that there are huge gaps in details of the Second Age, much more so than for TH, so they can (I hesitate to say "have to") invent a lot of stuff.

This one invention did raise a lot of eyebrows, I'd guess - young Galadriel?:

I quite like LoTR and TH by Peter Jackson, but there's no doubt that the books are better. And I'm not sure that Amazon will create something good enough. Though I'm looking forward to watching the series as maybe my suspicions are too pessimistic.

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

Their "advantage" is that there are huge gaps in details of the Second Age, much more so than for TH, so they can (I hesitate to say "have to") invent a lot of stuff

Yeah, by the way, Christopher Tolkien managed not to invent anything.

 

[Olorgando]

Yeah, by the way, Christopher Tolkien managed not to invent anything.

Not quite true. By his own admission, he did have to invent a bit in the published Silmarillion, about the end of Elu Thingol (in- or outside of Doriath) in a conflict with the Dwarves about the Nauglamir, the necklace of the Dwarves in which was set the Silmaril won by Lúthien and Beren. Mostly, I guess by what Christopher then published in the 2017 "Beren and Lúthien", to reconcile what was in total the most confused and contradictory "Great Tale", even though JRRT considered it the one most dear to himself. Daddy just never cleaned up the mess.

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

Not quite true. By his own admission, he did have to invent a bit in the published Silmarillion, about the end of Elu Thingol (in- or outside of Doriath) in a conflict with the Dwarves about the Nauglamir, the necklace of the Dwarves in which was set the Silmaril won by Lúthien and Beren. Mostly, I guess by what Christopher then published in the 2017 "Beren and Lúthien", to reconcile what was in total the most confused and contradictory "Great Tale", even though JRRT considered it the one most fear to himself. Daddy just never cleaned up the mess.

Anyway, Christopher Tolkien's work is impressive)

 

[Radaghast]

On my phone so just a general comment on the idea of a Silmarillion film before I go through the thread, so sorry if I repeat points already made.

The Silmarillion can't be made as a movie because it's an anthology and a summary of the three Ages Tolkien wrote about. Its scope is too broad and there are not enough details or dialogue. This isn't stopping Amazon from attempting to make eight seasons out of the Second Age, apparently, but that's nut (so nuts to them 😡).

Anyway, you could perhaps make a movie out of individual stories. The Children of Húrin could work except it's not exactly a crowd-pleaser and its protagonist is a jerk. Beren and Lúthien would probably work better as it's one of the few stories with anything resembling a happy ending.

But taking an individual story out of the context of the overall story might present some problems.