Many= a minority.
Modnote: OK, enough of this. Not only is this a silly and obvious slap fight it is a big distraction from the thread. Drop it immediately.
Well Ive yet to read a good review or meet someone who rated RoP. Its a poor product, on several levels.
I doubt the new stuff will be any good either.
I dont think Tolkeins universe lends itself at all to expansion by other writers. Its heart has been done already. Or mayve MERP let me down.
Ooh, that could be really good.
I feel like the best available Tolkien stories are all in the silmarillion, and I’m a little freaked that we’re getting “random new stuff about harfoots” instead of the tale of luthien and beren. I understand why, but it’s still disappointing.
Those could be good. 
Can KG play Goldberry?
There’s plenty of seeds of stuff in the Appendices, and even the “filler” stuff that is in LoTR itself, that many people tend to gloss over e.g. you can do the entire story of Eärendil just based off Bilbo’s Eärendillinwë and the people who own the Silmarillion rights would have to go pound sand.
It’s lazy if you think in terms of creativity. Studios aren’t concerned about that when it comes to these sorts of films. They are concerned about investing money.
Yes, new franchises do start somewhere. Yes, the MCU and Star Wars are examples of that. Examples ALSO abound of attempts to start new ideas that flop and lose ridiculous sums of money. The fact is that going to the same well over and over is safe. It’s good finance.
It’s the same thing as why TV networks keep making lousy reality shows. With a few exceptions, reality shows don’t garner especially high ratings. However, they’re VERY cheap to make as compared to scripted shows, so if they get even a mildly decent audience, they make money. The TV executives don’t think reality shows are good, they’re just safe.
This is the same argument/discussion I’ve been having with a student. From a studio POV, why take the chance on a new property when there’s safe money to be made? I’d love new stuff, but I get their reasoning.
I mean, seriously - here’s the top 10 domestic box office from last year. Mining existing intellectual property is hugely profitable.
| 1 | Top Gun: Maverick | $718,318,561 | 4,751 | $718,732,821 | May 27 | Paramount Pictures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | $436,499,646 | 4,396 | $453,251,600 | Nov 11 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 3 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | $411,331,607 | 4,534 | $411,331,607 | May 6 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 4 | Avatar: The Way of Water | $401,007,908 | 4,340 | $625,620,442 | Dec 16 | 20th Century Studios |
| 5 | Jurassic World: Dominion | $376,851,080 | 4,697 | $376,851,080 | Jun 10 | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | $369,695,210 | 4,427 | $369,695,210 | Jul 1 | Universal Pictures |
| 7 | The Batman | $369,345,583 | 4,417 | $369,345,583 | Mar 4 | Warner Bros. |
| 8 | Thor: Love and Thunder | $343,256,830 | 4,375 | $343,256,830 | Jul 8 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 9 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | $231,808,708 | 4,336 | $804,793,477 | Dec 17 | Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) |
| 10 | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | $190,872,904 | 4,258 | $190,872,904 | Apr 8 |
It has premiered with essentially no fanfare and mediocre reviews.
I saw the previews- I rate it “Meh”.