https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got flushed away in the merger.

But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first thought was Daniel Pemberton.

Rad-swaggity.

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

> Rad-swaggity.

Whatever comes of this deal, be it more films or television, It will certainly be fascinating and quite fun to watch Tolkien fandom do what it does to these sorts of projects.

As for composer predictions, if we are going for yet another sweeping epic my first thought it James Newton Howard. If they branch out a little and tell some different, more character focused stories within the world then I'd say someone like Ludwig Göransson would be a fine choice.

> Whatever comes of this deal, be it more films or television, It will
> certainly be fascinating and quite fun to watch Tolkien fandom do what it
> does to these sorts of projects.

As a card-carrying member of said fandom, little gives me more dread. To quote another fantasy epic, I don't want it.

> As a card-carrying member of said fandom, little gives me more dread. To
> quote another fantasy epic, I don't want it.

Good news: you don’t have to watch it! Those of us who aren’t inflexible gatekeepers with rectal obstructions will continue to enjoy these adaptations unfazed. Your self-anointed "card-carrying" status doesn't grant you more legitimacy than any other fan.

> Good news: you don’t have to watch it! Those of us who aren’t inflexible
> gatekeepers with rectal obstructions will continue to enjoy these
> adaptations unfazed. Your self-anointed 'card-carrying' status doesn't
> grant you more legitimacy than any other fan.

Ah, you misunderstand - it's not the adaptations themselves I dread, it's the inevitably tiresome and mean-spirited discourse that will follow almost regardless of their actual quality. And you have just provided a lovely little taster of it.

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

"But then something happened that the ring did not intend."

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

> Rad-swaggity.

My heart says Philip Klien, but my brain says someone safer, maybe James Newton Howard (not complaining if this happens) as Antonio mentioned. Dan Romer would be interesting but unlikely. It's also very likely that they'll stick to previous composers (Shore, McCreary).

*siiiiigh*

This does feel like a scramble to milk a known IP for more money after some stupid executive decisions, BUT.... it also feels inevitable that they'd try making more Middle-Earth/Tolkien movies.

As for composer choices... bring back Christopher Young for a mainstream blockbuster, you cowards!!!!

Other random choices without thinking too much:

Fernando Velazquez
James Newton Howard
John Powell
Michiru Oshima (if we're branching out into international waters)
Don Davis (another "pipe dream" choice)

Daniel Pemberton
.... etc., etc,....

Please no. I really don't want Tolkien's world to become as watered down and oversaturated in the market as the Star Wars universe has become. The Galaxy Gar Far Away use to feel special and unique and that is gone. I fear the same is happening to Middle Earth. Sigh....

Slainte

McCreary!!!

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

> Rad-swaggity.

I am intrigued. I believe that given the power, grandeur and continuity of soundscape created by Bear McCreary with Rings of Power, and his star is ascendent, that he may have the inside track. I would be pleased with his selection.

All the best

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

> Rad-swaggity.

Does it need to happen? Nope. Will it be as good as the original? Highly unlikely.

Am I stoked for the score? You betchya. If they announce Young or Powell I’ll actually shit my goddamn pants.

If they picked Thomas Bergersen, I’d shit my whole house wide open. Siiiiiigh that would be cool.

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

> Rad-swaggity.

I'm not against the idea of more films in Middle Earth, but it depends on how they handle it and which stories they try to tell. Are we just getting variations of men/elves/dwarves fighting orcs/goblins similar to how Disney keeps making variations of the rebels fighting the Empire? The will get old fast (if it isn't already with Rings of Power).

As for composers, I think David Arnold would be a great pick.

Dream composer pick is Lee Holdridge. How freaking awesome would that be? Chances of that happening are as close to 0 as theoretically possible, sadly.

> Dream composer pick is Lee Holdridge. How freaking awesome would that be?
> Chances of that happening are as close to 0 as theoretically possible,
> sadly.

Technically negative 50 is farther away from zero than just being a 1% chance so….it can always be more unlikely!

But yeah that shit will never happen. Too bad.

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

As long as they don't try to remake the original trilogy, I'm down with more material in this universe.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

I think someone like Christopher Lennertz or Joel McNeely would be great!

> As long as they don't try to remake the original trilogy, I'm down with
> more material in this universe.

I mean, technically the "original trilogy" was kind of already a "remake"

> I mean, technically the 'original trilogy' was kind of already a 'remake'
>

It only counts as a remake if they do it in 2 or 3 films and if it's from the Remake region of New Zealand. Otherwise it's just a sparkling adaptation.

>
> https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/

> So this is incredibly sparse on details, and I have no idea who has rights
> to what portions of Tolkien's stuff anymore, and I also don't know who
> owns MGM anymore which might be a key factor? But anyway, this feels very
> much a piece of WB/Discovery flailing to make up all the money that got
> flushed away in the merger.

> But since we're here, any Way Too Early composer predictions? My first
> thought was Daniel Pemberton.

> Rad-swaggity.

Since McCreary is doing Amazon's show, we can probably count him out of consideration. My serious guess would be Ramin Djawadi or Lorne Balfe, and I would be over the moon if JNH or Harry Gregson-Williams did it. (My *dream* would be for John Powell to do it, given that the setting's themes of war being hell are right up his alley and *gestures at his music*, but the scope of it may disincline him.)

I'm not happy at the prospect of more movies, no. The Lord of the Rings films are of such quality because of craftsmanship and being made in a specific moment in time. The stories' themes of peace and war being hell and mythological awe are vitally important, and Star Wars-ifying it is gonna lose that. Considering that the rights to different stories are jumbled up, if they're not adapting Tolkien's work, why bother?