Hello my fellow Lord of the Rings fanatics! Amazon Prime will be the home of a new series. San Diego Comic Con 2021 had a panel with TheOneRing.net where they delved into what we can expect and not expect to see on the new adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien classic.
Panelists: Cliff Broadway, Jim Wert, Josh Long, Justin Sewell, and Molly Ostertag.
Date: July 25th, 2021, San Diego Comic Con @ Home
TheOneRing.net is the largest Tolkien forum and has been around since 1998, and they have been doing comic con panels for 20 years. On social media, they have a total of 500,000 followers which they have gathered by a full volunteer-run team.
First up on the panel is Tolkien Books!
Newly edited resources from J.R.R. Tolkien (The Professor) called The Nature of Middle Earth, which is a collection of unreleased material. The book will reveal a lot of answers to questions such as how Numenor and Gondor are connected. This will be available on September 2nd, 2021. Christopher Tolkien collected this information and intended it to be the last word from The Professor. The editing has been done by someone new than before, so the process of editing and the nature of how it will end up is unknown. However, it is a must-have for any Tolkien fan.
Tolkien intended others to create and expand upon the world of Middle Earth. He did, however, did not want Disney to “play in his sandbox” and edit his version of Middle Earth creatures. This book can either be a bridge to the new content or a supplement. Jim Wert feels like it will most likely be just a supplement to existing content rather than a connecting material to the new adaptations.
Up next is The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, by John Garth. This book covers the real-life influences of Tolkien and the experiences he had that inspired scenes within his novels of Middle Earth. John Garth was a panelist on the 2020 SDCC panel with TheOneRing.net.
Great grandsons of Tolkien, Mike, and Royd have a book coming out on August 1st, 2021, exclusively on Amazon. The book takes us along on his journey to complete a bucket list left to Royd by Mike after his passing. The book will have a feature documentary released along with it. This is the third Tolkien family-related acquisition.
Next up New Movies
The War of the Rohirrim, a new film whose announcement cause a huge stir on the internet. This will be a 2D animated movie focusing on Helm Hammerhand, a post king of Rohan. Philippa Boyens consulted on the lore. Ghost in a Shell SAC’s, Shinji Aramaki, will be the director. The story is quite dark, and the history can be found in Appendix A of the Tolkien books. To hear the synopsis f the story of Helm Hammerhand, visit the video below to hear Jim Wert give an overview.
Established characters like Gandalf will not be involved in this story. He is around during this time. However, he is not involved in this story. This takes place about 250 years prior to the events of the Lord of the Rings films, so Frodo and Bilbo will also not be involved.
Next up New Adaptions
LOTR on Prime is the major topic of this panel. This is the most debated and discussed within the fandom. Three seasons have been greenlit so far, with an option to go to five seasons. It is being produced in New Zealand, and the cast and crew have been there throughout quarantine and the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pilot scenes are being reshot after hiring new actors when things didn’t work out. Several directors and producers are working on season one currently. The show will be debuting in 2022. The final episode has to be on the air by October 2022, so there is a chance SDCC 2022 will be dominated by LOTR.
Ian McKellen will not return as Gandalf for season one due to his being in stage production currently. Though, season two or three is possible. Blue wizards may show up, though, so we may get to see other wizards. The rest of the cast has been named, but no roles have been revealed. Amazon is keeping a tight lip on a lot of information concerning the cast. Josh Long expressed frustration on being unable to get too excited because you cannot put faces to the names of characters. The only character we know for sure is involved in this series is Galadriel.
One thing is for sure the hype for the new series is palpable and will not be dying down any time soon. For the next few years, Lord of the Rings and Tolkien fans will have a lot of content to consume. Stay tuned to The Game of Nerds for any updates on casting and filming.
