Script or story predictions for the Amazon Second Age series

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Script or story predictions for the Amazon Second Age series

Post by High Lord Tolkien »

Here's my script like prediction if they try to encompass the whole 2nd Age.

The voice of Galadriel gives an overview of the Second Age and explains that Middle Earth at this time is beautiful and peaceful with Elven kingdoms, friendly Dwarves and the island Kingdom of Numenor.

But then cut to Sauron who is somehow shown as an evil looking powerful god-like yet human looking being and begins building Mordor and amassing armies of both Orc and Men.

We then cut to Celebrimbor in the kingdom of Eregion creating works of wonder but being frustrated knowing that everything he creates will eventually fade and decay.
At this time Sauron appears as Annatar the "Lord of Gifts" and visits the Elven Kingdoms.
His is handsome and jacked.

Gil-galad and Galadriel both sense that there is something wrong about him and tell him to screw off and refuse to admit him to either of their realms.
(I'm thinking that maybe the day Annatar is refused by Gil-Galad a ship from Numenor arrives at Lindon just to establish that there is contact between those two Kingdoms)

Celebrimbor though does. He has a lust for the knowledge that Annatar has and did I mention that Annatar is also handsome and jacked? :D
Total love affair happens between the two of them.
One of the story arcs will be how Celebrimbor starts to develop doubts about Annatar as well but Annatar uses their romantic relationship to his advantage.
They both work on a type a "magic" (as Sam would call it) that would preserve for eternity the works of Elves.
Celebrimbor has the inspiration to make rings because the circle shape represents infinity (or something like that).
By this time Celebrimbor knows who Annatar truly is but is too ashamed that he still loves him to tell anyone.
The Smiths of Eregion and Annatar make the first 16 rings while Celebrimbor secretly makes the 3 without Annatars knowledge or aid.

When Annatar finally does see the 3 Rings and realizes their power he wants them for himself and tries to take them and resorts to violence when denied.
Celebrimbor has him cast out of Eregion even slamming the gates shut as he leaves.
(This would be paying homage from the Silmarilion when Finwe slammed the door on Morgoth)
Sauron allows them to dismiss him because he knows how he can master all the Rings at once.

Sauron returns to Mordor and creates the One.
We see the Elves remove their rings when they become aware of Sauron.
Celebrimbor sends one of the three to Galadriel and the other two to Gil-Galad for safe keeping.
Sauron returns with an army, wipes out Eregion, takes the 16 Rings and kills Celebrimbor himself.
Enraged that he doesn't have the 3, Sauron attacks the armies of Lindon to the west and starts to successfully push them back to coast. That's when a fleet of Numenorian ships arrive with troops enough to slaughter Sauron's forces. (I like how in the book a second Numenorian army comes up from the south and catches Sauron between a hammer and anvil kinda thing but that might be too much to do in a movie.)

His last remaining Orc captain is slain in front of him by a Numenorian warrior and Sauron flees back to Mordor literally alone.

Then we get to see Sauron giving out the Rings to Men and Dwarves.
Lots of potential stories there showing the origin of the Witch-King and seeing the other 6 Houses of Dwarves.

Then the focus and time shifts from ME to Numenor.

Maybe from the time and perspective of Amandil, Elendils father.
Amandil was close to the King Ar-Pharazôn and would be a good way to show how the King is afraid of dying and wishes to live forever like the Elves. His children are also a good connection to LotR.
Word comes that Sauron is calling himself "Lord of the West" a title that belongs only to the King of Numenor.
Enraged Ar-Pharazôn sets sail to battle Sauron and like in the book Sauron doesn't fight but kneels before Ar-Pharazôn.
This time the actor playing Sauron has to play it very differently than as Annatar because the King demands Sauron's servitude not love.
Eventually Sauron becomes his advisor and Sauron also becomes a religions zealot praising Morgoth (there can be a lot of social commentary with that take on it).

The Fall of Numenor should play out like in the book, it's perfect the way it is.

They should then show the formation of Gondor and then end the whole thing with that ominous music from Lotr and Mt Doom erupting.
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Post by Avatar »

Haha, thanks, don't think I need to watch it now. ;)

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Post by wayfriend »

On a serious note,

All indications are that we will see Sauron corrupting the Numenoreans, and mentoring the Ring-makers, which happens much earlier.

I think this is a good thing.

But what throws me is that Patton Oswalt has been signed on as "Young Gollum".

In case you haven't seen it: Press Release: Patton Oswalt Joins Amazon LOTR as ‘Young Gollum’

Now, even in the most re-imagined telling imaginable, Gollum isn't born until long after Sauron is defeated by Isuldur and the ring has been lost in the Anduin.

He's not even IN the Second Age!!

So my conclusion is that Young Gollum is going to be our narrator here. Not Galadriel. Oswalt's voice work in Happy! was pretty good - I can totally see this happening.
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Post by Wosbald »

+JMJ+
wayfriend wrote:[…]

But what throws me is that Patton Oswalt has been signed on as "Young Gollum".

In case you haven't seen it: Press Release: Patton Oswalt Joins Amazon LOTR as ‘Young Gollum’

Now, even in the most re-imagined telling imaginable, Gollum isn't born until long after Sauron is defeated by Isuldur and the ring has been lost in the Anduin.

He's not even IN the Second Age!!

[…]
<gobsmacked scriptwriters hastily rescribble 'VERY Young Gollum'>


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Post by High Lord Tolkien »

wayfriend wrote:On a serious note,
Was anything in my post not serious?
There's already an Amazon thread for leaks.
This one is for predictions.
What are yours?
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Post by wayfriend »

High Lord Tolkien wrote:
wayfriend wrote:On a serious note
Was anything in my post not serious?
I only meant that I was not going to respond with a joke. Probably because I just read "haha" in the previous reply.

I'll be back with a prediction.
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Post by High Lord Tolkien »

wayfriend wrote:
High Lord Tolkien wrote:
wayfriend wrote:On a serious note
Was anything in my post not serious?
I only meant that I was not going to respond with a joke. Probably because I just read "haha" in the previous reply.

I'll be back with a prediction.
Oh good. I always love your ideas. :thumbsup:

When the Amazon series is done and I absolutely hate it I want to go back to this thread and read about how awesome it could have been.

Like, what if it's all shown through the eyes of Maglor?
As a sad Elf who knows all too well what the final fate of Ring making will be and also the folly of disobeying the Valar.
Who wanders ME and chooses to meet his final end when Numenor falls?
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Post by wayfriend »

The official synopsis reads (emphasis by me):
Amazon Studios' forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Numenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
They also revealed a Map that surely indicates that Numenor is where a lot of the action happens.

There are several key parts of the Second Age which need to be considered.

First, Sauron lets himself be captured, whereupon he takes on a "fair guise" and begins to insinuate himself into the Kingdom of Men. I feel certain that this political intrigue will be a significant part of the series. I think we shall see someone cast as "handsome Sauron" for this part.

Second is, of course, the Forging of the Rings. This, again, is an opportunity where Sauron, this time in disguise, covertly sabotages the making of the Rings of Power. However, although this is massively important, I don't see a an opportunity for an expansive story. I see this being handled as either a side-line or a flash-back.

Then of course there is the war against evil. Sauron begins the second age being a general menace, he's beaten back, then he becomes more of a figure of intrigue working in Numenor, and then he revers back to evil warlord. He ends the age getting his ring finger amputated.

Lastly, there is the over-arching tragedy of men's quest for immortality. The Isle of Numenor is given by the Valar as a gift. But -- guess what -- people twist the world view and begin to see it as a punishment that denies them immortality. So this causes all the bad stuff to happen. Numenor sinks into the sea directly because of this misguided vision of Men's destiny.

So how does this all get put together into a series?

I think the First Season begins with Sauron being beaten back in Middle Earth, ending in his capture and being put in chains and taken to Numenor. Subsequent Seasons then deal with the conflicts of the Men of Numenor - the good who cleave to Iluvatar's original vision, and the bad who are corrupted by Sauron and crave immortality. It fits "beginning in a time of relative peace".

The obvious problem with this is that the Forging of the Rings occurs much earlier in the real timeline. Nevertheless I don't think this is wrong, as I see no way to begin earlier in a way that is Games-of-Thrones-y. Also, this did not happen "in a time of relative peace".

It may be handled as flash-back. But I bet a little bit of revisionism will be put to use here. (Sorry High Lord. I know you hate that.) But I believe that they will rig it so that the Forging of the One Ring occurs while Sauron is on Numenor! Think of it as his side gig. How does he manage it? He's a F***ing Maiar! If he can turn into a bat or a werewolf, he can surely work out how to get appear in Middle Earth, disguised as an Elf ring-maker.

This all sets Sauron up as "the greatest villian". Let's face it, sitting in a tower telling the Orcs where to fight doesn't really qualify for World's Greatest Villain. But bringing about the downfall of the Greatest Kingdom of Men by whispering into ears, then climbing out of the waves of the destruction of Numenor on the shores of Middle Earth, and putting on the One Ring for the first time? Now that's Villiany!

That's my theory.
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Post by High Lord Tolkien »

Yeah, that's all plausible.
I'd be good with that.
Shippey left so I'm anticipating massive nonsensical changes.
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Post by wayfriend »

Have to revise theories!

The creation of the 3, the 7, and the 9 are to be the central storyline, at least at the beginning.

What was happening in that time?

About 1500 S.A. Celebrimbor begins forging the Rings of Power. Around 1600 is the One Ring forged.

During these years:
+ Numenor has been around a while now - 1500 years.
+ Sauron has arisen, and has been building power for about 1K years.
+ Sauron has corrupted the Haradrim and the Easterlings.
+ Barad Dur is 500 years old.
+ Sauron has been pretending to be Annatar, "Lord of Gifts", for 300 years, in order to deceive the Elves.
+ The Numenoreans are beginning to build permanent settlements in Middle Earth.

and

+ Only 2000 years until the fall of Numenor! Buy toilet paper.
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Post by Zarathustra »

Time is certainly going to be compressed or distorted for this story. It doesn't bother me. The timeline is simply too long to tell it properly.

I don't have any major predictions, but something WF just posted made me wonder if we'll see things like the beginning of Minas Tirith, familiar structures (to fans of the movies) in the beginning stages of being built. Argonath, etc.

I think it's safe to say that the end of this series, after many seasons, has got to be the Last Alliance and the defeat of Sauron. There couldn't be a better conclusion, not to mention set up for the LOTR.

This could easily be 10 seasons, there's so much to tell. There could even be another series for the 3rd age, a sort of prequel to the Hobbit + LOTR, or even encompass events between Hobbit and LOTR. If this series does well.
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Post by DrPaul »

Here's my two cents worth on how I would like to see it done (although it won't be done this way). There are passages in Tolkien's own writings that support such a take on Sauron.

Early in the Second Age Sauron is a well-meaning and supremely talented technocrat who has a grand plan for the future of Middle-Earth, and is honestly convinced that everyone and everything in Middle-Earth will be much better off if his plan is implemented.

Furthermore, many among the peoples of Middle-Earth find Sauron's vision persuasive and inspiring. Many of the Easterling and Southron rulers come to support Sauron on this basis, and Celebrimbor and the Elves of Eregion decide to cooperate with Sauron to implement his plan. Many lords of the Dwarves and of mortal humans also find it persuasive.

The problem is that Sauron - like a lot of people we could think of in the real world - is so convinced of the correctness of his plan and the purity of his own motives that he becomes impatient with any questioning and criticism, sees the unsupportive reactions of characters such as Gil-galad, Galadriel and Elrond as simply perverse and hostile, and decides that it is in the best interests of all concerned for him to take steps to ensure that he is able to make everyone else carry out his plan - for their own good, of course. This leads him to forge the One Ring. Sauron's subsequent development as a character, and the subsequent conflicts, are all logical consequences of this decision.

In a sense, Sauron himself is the first and greatest agent in Middle Earth to succumb to the temptation of the Ring of Power. What he does and what becomes of him are foreshadowings of what might have become of Gandalf or Galadriel had they accepted the Ring when Frodo offered it to them.
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