# Could The Silmarillion Become A Film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth\ **Created:** [August 30, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372 "2002-08-30T21:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/1 "2002-08-30T21:49:55Z")
I tried to read it once, and I must admit I was a bit confused and it didn’t really hold my interest, but now that I see what Peter Jackson has done with **The Fellowship Of The Ring** , I wonder if he couldn’t work the same kind of magic with **The Silmarillion**. What do y’all think? Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/2 "2002-08-30T22:02:39Z")
If you have trouble reading it try skipping ahead to the Quenta Silmarillion part. At the very least read the last bit about the rings of power. I think it’s too vast. I think parts would make good movies though, even great movies. Even if there were an attempt to break it into a trilogy or something I think it would be too disconjointed. Maybe start with the arrival of the illuminated Elves in Middle Earth and end I with Beren and Luthein. II with the defeat of Morgoth. And II with the first defeat of Sauron. Even though that cuts out half of the book it would still be very disconjointed and broken. The only way I can think to put this on film is to have someplace like the BBC serialize it in a bunch of hour long or 90 minute dramas. _shrugs_ ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/3 "2002-08-30T22:05:20Z")
You can really compare the Silmarillian with the Bible. A collection of stories of which many have no connection and it’s only when seen as a whole that a vague over story is made apparant. And while some of the stories are individually good narratives stringing them together in another form other then the book would really be disastrous. ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/4 "2002-08-30T22:48:06Z")
If they can make a movie based on “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask,” they can make a movie based on anything. The question needs to be, “Could The Silmarillion Become A GOOD Film?” I haven’t read the Silmarillion, but I suspect **Osiris** is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/5 "2002-08-31T00:10:09Z")
A miniseries maybe. I think the story of Turin could, by itself, be made into a movie. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/6 "2002-08-31T02:59:54Z")
I also never finished it, and I agree with **Osiris.** A friend of mine explained why he never finished it by saying, “Jeez, it’s like reading the Bible, except all the names are unfamiliar.” Still, it might make a good miniseries, maybe on the Sci-Fi channel. I would really like to see something done on Tom Bombadil. I was really disappointed when thye cut him out, although I realize they had to cut something and he could be removed more cleanly than any other character. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/7 "2002-08-31T03:01:30Z")
I love **The Silmarillion** …I must be in the minority of those who actually like it more than **The Lord of the Rings**. Like others have already said, the book is simply too huge to try to encapsulate into a single movie. A miniseries approach would be even better, but even then, it would be an awful damn long miniseries if they wanted to cover everything in that book. Perhaps an approach like **Babylon 5** …I never watched that show save for a couple of episodes, but it was my understanding that it was supposed to be a long 5-year story arc. In other words, do **The Silmarillion** as a limited-run television series. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/8 "2002-08-31T03:38:23Z")
When I was newly married, and my soldier-husband would be on overnight duty or out in the field, **The Silmarillion** was the book I used to help me fall asleep at night. It never failed to have me asleep within 30 minutes. I am a voracious reader of everything from baby powder bottles to physics books, but that book defeated me. 20-odd years later I still have no desire to re-read it. I think that to make it a viable movie it would have be be severely restructured, and then it would not be **The Silmarillion** ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/9 "2002-08-31T04:06:37Z")
When I was newly married, and my soldier-husband would be on overnight duty or out in the field, **The Silmarillion** was the book I used to help me fall asleep at night. It never failed to have me asleep within 30 minutes. I am a voracious reader of everything from baby powder bottles to physics books, but that book defeated me. 20-odd years later I still have no desire to re-read it. I think that to make it a viable movie it would have be be severely restructured, and then it would not be **The Silmarillion** ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/10 "2002-08-31T04:28:04Z")
When I was newly married, and my soldier-husband would be on overnight duty or out in the field, **The Silmarillion** was the book I used to help me fall asleep at night. It never failed to have me asleep within 30 minutes. I am a voracious reader of everything from baby powder bottles to physics books, but that book defeated me. 20-odd years later I still have no desire to re-read it. I think that to make it a viable movie it would have be be severely restructured, and then it would not be **The Silmarillion** ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/11 "2002-08-31T04:29:22Z")
Lordy, do I hate the hamsters tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/12 "2002-08-31T05:28:58Z")
Remember we had a thread recently about what happens when people read? A few said that they hear the words, others, like myself, basically have a movie. I think being a movie type reader really helps for this book. I mean let me tell you, when that Elf challenged Morgoth outisde of his domain and he came out, that battle was absolutely freaking awesome in my mind. Tall stark mountain walls, black clad warriors, black cinder all over the ground. Oh my it was amazing. This also worked for me even in the beginning with all the music makers. For me the book flew by. I wouldn’t say it’s better then **The Lord of the Rings** but it did feel bigger and broader. And it depressed me. But I did really enjoy it. I would love it if they made a series about it. As long as they did it right mind you. And that would be a very tall order. ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/13 "2002-08-31T07:05:54Z")
It would make a hell of an opera. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/14 "2002-08-31T07:13:52Z")
I’d bet Ralph Bakshi could make a damn fine animated film out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/15 "2002-08-31T07:29:00Z")
Leave out the song of the Aniur? Ridiculous! The hounds of the Valar hunting in the darkness of Middle Earth, before the coming of the sun or moon? The journey of the Vanyar, and the wayward wandering of the Teleri? You can’t ignore the founding of the entire realm of the Moriquendi. The fall of the two trees is a movie all by itself. The banishment of the Noldor, the crossing of the grinding ice by Fingolfin’s people. The kinslaying, the arrival of the Noldor with the first dawning of the Sun? Man, it would take a dozen hour long shows just to get to the war against Morgoth. Yep, a three season once a week hour long mega epic. I want the boxed set on DVD. That gives you sixty six hour long instalments. Who plays Beren Erchamion? Do you have to cast Liv Tyler as Luthien, since she is Arwen? And who will be Turin Turambar? Is the modern world ready for that tragic a story? Feanor? Melian? Elu Thingol? And Hurin, the mightiest warrior of mortal men? I want to see the battle before Thangorodrim, and the heroic last stand against the seventy trolls! That has to be a whole episode. Yes, it could be done, but not as a single movie, or even a week long miniseries. This is a maxiseries. And the audience would come to the first one, for sure. After that, it would depend on quality. The Rings trilogy is just a footnote. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/16 "2002-08-31T08:04:03Z")
Hey, no bakshi bashing, ok pal? His film was definitely better than the Rankin-Bass “Hobbit” and “Return of the King”. I think the Silmarillion would be a great trilogy of movies, in the style of Four Rooms or Tales from the Dark Side: 4 or 5 shorts put together into each of 3 movies. Personally, I’d make part 1 all about the elves, prefaced with the creation of the universe and making of Arda. Here are the stories I’d include (having trouble sorting the chronology of the stories though): The Ainulindale and introductions of the players (the Valar, the Maiar, the Enemies, Aule and Yavanna, and the origins of the races) as a preface The coming of the Elves, The attacks on the early Elves and Valinor, Feanor and the creation of the Silmarils, The Kinslaying and the exile **End part 1** The rise of the hidden kingdoms (Gondolin, Beleriand, Nargothrond, Doriath), The wars in Middle Earth against Morgoth, and Maeglin’s story The death of Fingolfin vs. Morgoth The story of Beren and Luthien **End part 2** Hurin and Turin, Huor and Tuor Earendil & The war of wrath The rise of Sauron Rise and fall of Numenor, and the introduction and creation of the rings of power. It’s an awful lot of material to cover, and there are still lots of good ones left out, but that’s what I consider the vital stories. The way I put it together above would probably be a solid 3 hours at least for each movie. I’d pay to see it, if somebody did it though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/17 "2002-08-31T08:07:39Z")
I think I’d prefer Triskadecamus’s idea though. I’d be absolutely glued to my tv for that hour each week. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/18 "2002-08-31T08:15:04Z")
I’m afraid I must insist that they film it widescreen and play it weekly in a few select cities. Say London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Wow, that’s about $200 for the movies every year it runs. Money well spent I’d assume. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/19 "2002-08-31T09:32:17Z")
Y’all are really taking to this idea! 😃 And you’re getting **me** so excited I’m gonna try **The Silmarillion** again! Who we gonna get to direct this monster epic? Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372/20 "2002-08-31T09:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe\_Cool \* > \*\*Hey, no bakshi bashing, ok pal? His film was definitely better than the Rankin-Bass “Hobbit” and “Return of the King”. > \*\* I’d have to agree. Before Jackson’s **TFOTR** was even heard of, I kept hoping ol’ Ralph would continue the story, and I even wrote him an e-mail about it. His reply: “No way, Bill. I’m too busy painting!- Ralph” I was so surpised he even answered, I printed it , and keep it with my important papers. As a related subject, I wonder if anyone on the **Bakshi** team worked on Jackson’s film? Yeah, yeah. I know: Different genres, but still… Quasi [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-silmarillion-become-a-film/126372.md?page=2)