The Lord Of The Rings' creator's son hated the movies and slammed 'monster creation'
J R R Tolkien, the mastermind behind The Lord of the Rings, died in 1973. He never lived to see the huge success his stories would go on to receive decades later. Dying decades before Peter Jackson came onto the scene to bring the story to life on the silver screen, his son Christopher Tolkien revealed his true thoughts on The Lord of the Rings franchise. But, not all of it was kind.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien authored the works of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, before his son Christopher was born. The Hobbit came first (1937), as a children’s or Young Adult’s book, but would later be loved by adults of all ages. Later, in 1954 he began his epic fantasy, known for bringing to life the biggest battle for Middle Earth. To entertain his children, he would tell them long stories, and that’s how The Hobbit first came to be seven years before he published it as a novel. The story was so popular, the publisher begged for a sequel – but it took 17 years.
Christopher Tolkien felt The Lord of the Rings movies ‘gutted the book’
Was Christopher Tolkien happy with The Lord of the Rings films? Not really, no. Despite the Hollywood blockbusters resonating with a wide audience, it wasn’t the same for the author’s son.
Christopher Tolkien once told La Monde, before he died, the family were invited to meet The Lord of the Rings’ director, Peter Jackson. But they declined. It seems the Tolkien Estate wasn’t happy with the movie adaptations.
“They gutted the book, making it an action film for 15-25 year olds,” Christopher slammed the franchise. “And it seems that The Hobbit will be of the same ilk.”
He continued: “Tolkien became a monster, devoured by his popularity and absorbed by the absurdity of the times.
“The gap that opened up between the beauty, the seriousness of the work, and what it has become, all this is beyond me. Such a degree of commercialization reduces to nothing the aesthetic and philosophical significance of this creation.
“I have only one solution left: turn my head.”
They had a better relationship with the Rings of Power
Even if Christopher Tolkien had issues with The Lord of the Rings, the family didn’t with Amazon‘s prequel series, the Rings of Power.
The estate apparently worked closely with the series, which was a hit on the streaming service. His son, Simon, also worked as a consultant to the show-runners.
As Christopher, who headed the Tolkien Estate until 2017, defended his father’s work throughout his life, it’s clear to see why he was so passionate. But the writer himself sold the film rights back in 1969, four years before his death, there was nothing the family could do. By the 2000s, the contracts were then acquired by Warner Bros who made the movies.
Even though his words were harsh, it may be instead he felt huge parts of the stories were axed for the final film cut. In order to keep audiences entertained, it’s common for novels to become abridged when they make it to Hollywood.
Christopher passed away in 2020, three years after stepping down as chair of the Estate. However, it seems a better relationship with the TV show naturally formed, with his son involved. The potential to release several series, giving enough time to rightfully dive into the world Tolkien created, would help ease any potential tension.
The Lord of the Rings isn’t a trilogy
Even though most fans refer to the epic saga as a trilogy, especially because of the three movies that followed, it’s not. The book was published in three parts due to the bulk of the story. It also helped publishers in the early days, because if they mass-produced a large book at scale, it risked of not selling at all.
Despite concerns, it went on to be another success. It has also been voted as the best book of the 20th century numerous times over the years.
It sold more than 50 million copies, in 30 different languages, by the 2000s.
Peter Jackson – to Christopher Tolkien’s dismay – then released The Lord of the Rings movies between 2001 and 2003. They received critical and financial success and helped elevate the cast to further stardom.
However, in the final film, one of The Lord of the Rings actors almost died after a mistake which made the director sweat.
Jackson then returned to the franchise in 2012 to remake The Hobbit, also in three parts.
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