Other adaptations based on the Appendices?

Since the LotR Appendices are fair game, is it possible that we get so see other adaptations based on those in the future? Given that the texts in the Appendices are not very comprehensive, this will of course give the screenwriters a lot of creative freedom, for good or worse. What stories would you like to see be made into movies? I would like to see something in the vein of:

Aragorn Begins
The story of Aragorn: his upbringing in Rivendell, the romance with Arwen,
his time in the armies of Gondor and Rohan, how his friendship with Gandalf evolved, the hunt for Gollum and the watch on the Shire. They could even explain the origins of the Rangers with a flashback to the fall of Arnor and the Battle of Fornost, since this is also in the Appendices.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North
Takes place during the War of the Ring, but focus lies on what happens in the north. The attacks on Lorien, the Battle under the trees (during which Grimbeorn's woodmen and the Mirkwood elves cleansed the forest from orcs and spiders), Dain and Brand defend Dale and the Lonely Mountain against the Easterlings, the Lorien elves attack and destroy Dol Guldur.
 
On a related note, a fan film which you may have heard of that is based on parts of the appendices of LOTR (It's called 'The Hunt for Gollum') is a thoroughly enjoyable film and covers some of what you have mentioned in your idea for the 'Aragorn Begins' film.
 
It would be really interesting to see other characters who haven't really been explored before (Arathorn, Elrohir & Elldan etc) finally get a chance, even if they were only to appear in said film briefly.
 
An obvious choice would be a trilogy on the Fall of Numenor - though, I'm not sure what kind of rights there would be, since it is more detailed in Akallabeth.
 
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Just because the LotR Appendices are "fair game" doesn't mean I want them to be milked for all their worth. I feel that we're scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit much now, and that we would be doing Tolkien's legacy a disservice. The only other Tolkien films I'd LIKE to see would be a Silmarillion series of four films: Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin, The Fall of Gondolin, and The War of Wrath. But such films are currently very unlikely.
 
Would you have a 5th, though, to detail the "Beginning of Days", or would you have it revealed throughout the four films?

I don't know how a Silmarillion film could work, without starting at the very beginning. [:)]
 
about Hurin and the Ruin of Doriath. You can't have films about all those others and skip the whole story of the necklace of the dwarves.
 
Many years ago, after ROTK came out, I stumbled across a site that proposed a film (or two, I can't remember) based on the drowning of Numenor. It's been a very long time since I read it, but remember that I was very impressed.

Here's the link if you'd like to look into it [:)]

http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/num-intro.htm
 
I'd be up for a film on this. At least we wouldn't have any returning characters and aging issues etc.
 
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It just doesn't have as much structure or emotional heart as LotR. The only possible film I could see with any relevance to what we love in Middle-Earth would be War in the North. A film about Aragorn ruins the reveal of Strider, or becomes redundant after a time since we know his character isn't going to evolve much. Plus, it would be a film about a kid, and that would grossly limit the range of things that could be done. the mythology of Middle-Earth doesn't interest most people. It's the world that mythology is based on and how we've come the the seminal point in Lord of the Rings for that civilization.

I especially dislike that the author tends to think that answers to these questions are "needed", without realizing how this makes the world more open and mysterious. We're allowed to take our own interpretations and come to conclusions on that which we are unaware. The explanation of the Undying Lands never sat well with me, for instance, because it was just a vaguely mystical place in LotR where we knew the faithful vanquished. Seeing Frodo go there is supposed to be emotional, not a moment where a history lesson is supposed to pop in your head. And, of course, very few people here would ever trust PJ (or anyone!) with the task of an entirely new script.
 
For a film on the Fall of Numenor to work, there would have to be some "made up" storylines and/or characters, to give it that kick (like the Titanic ...).

The story has enough drama/tragedy/action in it though. It still wouldn't solve the story taking place over many, many years though.
 
As you of course know, the only full version by JRRT is the very first one written as one of the Lost Tales. My preference would be to use as much of this as possible, but I recognize that much of it just isn't compatible with Tolkien's later vision of the first age.

But then, there's so much of The Silmarillion version that just has no precedent in anything written by Tolkien. But since Tolkien left Christopher in command of all his writings, I feel that Christopher's contributions can't just be ignored, especially where they actually improve on the story, IMHO. The murder of Thingol by the dwarves deep in Menegroth is one such example.

So I think a film of this story could easily be made that draws from both sources (as well as any other pertinent notes). Would such a film please everyone? I'm sure it wouldn't. But that's the way of things.
 
That has emotion to that story - its very sad, it would also give the story a chance to involve Sauron before the downfall (if connected to the downfall of Numenor). Would also connect to Gil-Galad and just generally a few places in ME that people will recognise from previous movies.
 
Likewise, it's been years since I read the treatment idea that I liked to in my reply to Daniel. But I seem to remember that just reading it I was very emotionally involved with the characters.

My main reason to want a film is to see the great wave engulf Numenor. If done correctly, such a scene could be the most spectacular destruction recorded in cinema.

Oh, and I don't know that I would trust PJ to write the script. His LOTR films are three of my favorite movies, but the more I hear about the Hobbit, the more worried I get.
 
Such a tragedy that Tolkien never finished it. Just the few glimpses we see in the notes suggest that it would have finished as beautifully as it began (and with no less heartache to boot!).

A standalone film based on this story followed by maybe a two-part Akallabeth would be my preference. The Mariner's Wife would allow audiences to fall in love with Numenor (though maybe not its people [:P]). Follow this with the beautifully destructive story of Numenor's fall and I think there's a trilogy to rival the LOTR films.
 
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