The story of how Harvey Weinstein almost killed LOTR and had a 2 hour film by Tarantino

[Hidden_Hand]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertain...-rings/ar-AAwIExj?li=AAnZ9Ug&ocid=mailsignout

Harvey Weinstein threatened Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson that he would be replaced by Quentin Tarantino if he did not turn his vision for JRR Tolkien’s book into one two-hour film.

A new book by British film writer Ian Nathan, Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson & The Making of Middle-Earth, reveals that Weinstein thought the New Zealand director had “wasted” $12m in developing a two-movie script.

Weinstein told Jackson he had to make one two-hour film or he would be replaced byShakespeare in Love director John Madden, or Tarantino.

“Harvey was like, ‘you’re either doing this or you’re not. You’re out. And I got Quentin ready to direct it’,” Ken Kamins, a producer who worked for Weinstein on the project, told the author.

Jackson said he got a memo dated 17 June, 1998 from Jack Lechner, the development head of Weinstein’s company Miramax, detailing “a more radical, streamlined approach”, which would allow the story to be told in one film.

This would have meant cutting the Helm’s Deep valley, having Eowyn replace Faramir as Boromir’s sister, the Balrog would disappear and Saruman too was on shaky ground, the Stuff website reports.

“It was literally guaranteed to disappoint every single person that has read that book,” Jackson told Nathan.

Jackson called Kamins to say he and his partner Fran Walsh could not adapt the book in the way Weinstein wanted.

“We’d rather have our lives and do our films and not deal with all this crap anymore. Tell Harvey to go ahead and make his film and good luck.”

Kamins persuaded Weinstein to allow Jackson and Walsh sell their treatment elsewhere. New Line Cinema picked it up and Tolkein’s book was turned into a hugely successful trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).

Jackson won a best director Oscar for The Return of the King and the series won 17 Oscars in total.

Last December Jackson admitted to blacklisting actors Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino in response to a “smear campaign” orchestrated by Weinstein, resulting in both women falling out of the running for parts in the Lord of the Rings series.

“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs,” Jackson said.

“At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us. But in hindsight, I realise that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing. I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women.”

This industry legit scares me, how with one wrong phone call or one wrong conversation things could be so astronomically different is mind blowing.

LOTR regarded by many as the greatest film trilogy ever created and ever will be created could have been a 2 hour film by Quentin Tarantino, if that don't send shivers down your spine then I don't know what will.

And I am not knocking QT, he is a HOF'er but he has no business handling this sort of film, thank god it worked out in the end.

Also fucking LOL at the blunder by Weinstein not trusting Jackson and Walsh, they lost billions!!

We was so close to not getting Lord of the Rings

 

[IndyCovaHart]

I could have done without that shit series.

 

[BisexualMMA]

You know what they call potatoes in Mordor? Nasty taters.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Austin Powers was a better trilogy IMO

 

[orangecuse]

A pretty reasonable request when you consider all the other things he was asking people in the industry to do.

 

[BisexualMMA]

A pretty reasonable request when you consider all the other things he was asking people in the industry to do.

"asking"

 

[Zazen]

Most overrated movie series of all time simply because most people don't read any books. Books are superior, I got bored during the movies.

 

[Headkicktoleg]

I could have done without that shit series.

Why? How does it presence hurt you?

 

[D3THRONED]

Most overrated movie series of all time simply because most people don't read any books. Books are superior, I got bored during the movies.

No, Star Wars is much more overrated.

 

[IndyCovaHart]

Austin Powers was a better trilogy IMO

1) Sharknado
2) Austin Powers
3) LOTR

 

[Hidden_Hand]

Most overrated movie series of all time simply because most people don't read any books. Books are superior, I got bored during the movies.

It is not possible to compact that much content into a 2-3 hour film and make it understandable for new comers and good enough for people of the book.

You could make a 3 hour movie just on Sauron tricking everyone with his beauty and charm to trust him and the forging of the rings.

What Jackson did was legendary and imo will never be topped, he changed cinema forever and it shows because he has the most Oscars and awards and the franchise made billions.

It's hard to believe The Fellowship of the Ring is almost 20 years old, good grief!!!

 

[moreorless87]

Most overrated movie series of all time simply because most people don't read any books. Books are superior, I got bored during the movies.

Are we talking the same LOTR? I.E. the best selling novel of the 20th century? I think a good number of people who liked it had read the book.

 

[jojoRed]

Raping women wasnt enough, but for the prequel he needed to rape our movies.

 

[MikeMcMann]

Tarantino would have been awesome.

Black Gandolph played by Sam Jackson.

'You MotherFuckin Orcs, ain't gonna MotherFuckin pass'!

 

[Big Brown Clown]

Most overrated movie series of all time simply because most people don't read any books. Books are superior, I got bored during the movies.

No. I watched them all again recently and they still hold up perfectly. The trilogy is a masterpiece.

And even if it was overrated(it’s not), it can never be the MOST overrated because Star Wars and the MCU exist.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Tarantino would have been awesome.

Black Gandolph played by Sam Jackson.

'You MotherFuckin Orcs, ain't gonna MotherFuckin pass'!

'Fly, you motha fuckas, FLY!'

 

[Hidden_Hand]

Are we talking the same LOTR? I.E. the best selling novel of the 20th century? I think a good number of people who liked it had read the book.

Remember people who don't like LOTR are a minority.

Like many minority groups you have to put them in a corner and pretend they don't exist.

 

[MikeMcMann]

It's the cool thing now to look back on movies considered epic at the time and shot on them. #soedgy

I wonder how many who sht on it saw it live or how old they were if they did.

Best Buy and others were setting up drive in theater setups in their parking lots to screen it as there was so much demand.

 

[moreorless87]

Remember people who don't like LOTR are a minority.

Like many minority groups you have to put them in a corner and pretend they don't exist.

Just seems a rather odd argument, I mean yeah I'v certainly met people who enjoy the books but not the films yet there are obviously very large numbers of people who enjoy both.

 

[ithinktheymad]

"asking"