The Lord of the Ringsis one of the best fantasy trilogies to ever hit the screens, spawning an entire franchise that now includes a prequel trilogy and a Prime Video series. Thanks to the work from Peter Jackson andperfectly cast characters,Lord of the Ringshas become a pinnacle for book-to-film adaptations, not just in general but of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work as well. Indeed, the genius of Tolkien came to life on-screen thanks to Jackson.
While Jackson successfully produced bothThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbittrilogies, before he ever obtained the rights toThe Lord of the Rings, there were several potential adaptations that never came to fruition as the rights were bought and sold several times before they fell into Jackson’s lap. Here’s everyThe Lord of the Ringsadaptation that almost happened, and why they didn’t come to life.
Walt Disney’s Lord of the Rings
Tolkien’sThe Hobbitwas released shortly before Disney’sSnow White, which is remarkably similar to the story ofThe Hobbit. While Tolkien’s publisher approached Disney for a potential adaptation, there was no official consent given for Disney to adapt the novel. The famed author didn’t appreciate Walt Disney’s style of filmmaking. While a film adaptation was considered, the subject matter was considered too complex and scary for a House of Mouse production. This makes us wonder how differentThe Hobbitwould look if Disney had a hand in production.
Related:The Hobbit: Revisiting 1977’s Animated Film
Potential Animated Film Adaptation
In the 1950s, animator Al Brodax reached out to Tolkien with the hopes of creating an animated adaptation of the trilogy. While Tolkien was impressed by the proposal and the concept art laid out by Robert Cobb, the script proved to be a huge problem. In fact, he actually wrote a horrific response after reading Grady Zimmerman’s script, which changed the ending entirely, having Sam steal the One Ring before getting attacked by Gollum and Frodo. In the end, director Forrest J. Ackerman was unable to secure a producer and the project was scrapped.
Robert Gutwillig’s Adaptation
Robert A. Gutwillig was known for his filmThe Killing of Randy Webster, but before this, he approached Tolkien, proposing to create aLord of the Ringsfilm. Tolkien was interested in the idea at first. However, it would seem that, for one reason or another, the project was dropped by all parties. Nothing has been stated specifically, so it’s unclear as to why we missed out on this adaptation. Whether it was a result of creative differences or beingstuck in development hell, we’ll never know.
Rembrandt Animations' The Hobbit
In the 1960s, Rembrandt Animations managed to snag the rights toThe Hobbit. Rembrandt produced ananimated short ofThe Hobbitto prolong their ownership of the story. This short was only ever shown once, in New York to a group of random viewers grabbed from the streets. Nothing ever came of this and only superfans have heard of this adaptation.
Related:Why The Hobbit Films Aren’t as Beloved as The Lord of the Rings
John Boorman’s Lord of the Rings
By the 1970s, United Artists had acquired the rights toThe Lord of the Ringsand asked John Boorman, known forDeliveranceandExcalibur, to direct. The plan was to create one very long film with an intermission. Boorman showed a great deal of excitement at the prospect of adapting the trilogy. The script was, however, heavily altered from the source material, including adding a sex scene between Frodo and Galadriel. Due to the cost of the project and the financial failures of United Artists, they couldn’t afford to risk the loss. The rights were later sold on, which lead to the first real animated adaptation.
Peter Jackson’s Early Attempts
While Jackson has become known for his outstanding adaptations of Tolkien’s literary masterpieces, he didn’t always meet the mark. He first started working with Miramax on an adaptation, which producers believed he was simply wasting money on as he insisted on creating a full trilogy instead of a single film. They even threatened to replace Jackson with theestablished Quentin Tarantino. The script was heavily slimmed-down, cutting out Helm’s Deep and the Balrog. Due to never-ending disputes with producers, Jackson took his script to New Line, andThe Lord of the Ringswe know and love was born there.
