I keep coming back to Tolkien's statement "that the Silmarillion etc. and The Lord of the Rings went together, as one long Saga of the Jewels and the Rings, and that I was resolved to treat them as one thing" (Letter 126). It seems to me (assuming that the statement in the Variety report that the rights involved in this project definitely do not include the Silmarillion) that there is a real lost opportunity here to make Tolkien's vision come alive. Just think of how awesome it could be -- in the right hands. Picturing the full invented history, from the Music of the Ainur, to the passing of the Ringbearers Over the Sea play out over as many seasons as necessary? Now that would be must-see TV.

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In gratitude forever … .

It would. *sigh*

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Just gimme a billion $$$ and I'll make it happen.

(Right after filming on the Hidden Worlds TV series is done.)

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I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

I would be very surprised if the First Age hasn't come up in negotiations. It is possible the Estate is allowing Amazon to do Third Age stuff as a proving ground for possibly going deeper later. Amazon is going big on this and I'm sure they want it to go long term. What you can reasonably do with the late Third Age without remaking LotR/Hobbit (which I don't really expect) or going into utterly gratuitous fanfic will probably run dry in three seasons tops, even if all handled with great respect and faithful creativity. I suppose going earlier into the Third Age or parts of the Second sufficiently described in LotR is also a possibility.

I mean, I'm not putting too much hope on expecting eventual First Age material. But with Christopher stepping down from the Tolkien Estate and Simon having been more friendly toward adaptations in the past, maybe there will be some gradual loosening of things, especially if the Estate can ensure they're closely involved in whatever happens. (BTW, I both would like to see a Silmarillion TV adaptation done well and also think Christopher's reasons for being protective of it are entirely understandable - it's a complicated question).

Yes, I have had similar thoughts, particularly since the Estate reportedly has the right to vet the scripts. We'll just have to see.

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In gratitude forever … .

I'm glad the estate can vet the scripts. Ursula Le Guin wrote a rather wrenching essay about her experience with a TV film adaptation of A Wizard of Earthsea that ignored her deeper themes entirely, whitewashed the cast, and wrote stupid dialog throughout. She was actually there to see it happen, having asked for that and assuming they might consult the author about questions that came up, but they knew what they wanted to do. And she had no contractual right to be consulted on any of it. She'd had a good experience years earlier with the TV film adaptation of Lathe of Heaven, so she was gobsmacked at being treated so contemptibly.

I like PJ's films, as others don't, and I recognize why they don't. But the worst of the liberties he took are nothing compared to what might be done by a producer with no respect for the source material at all.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

I agree with everything everyone said in this thread, but especially with the part about the Hidden World series.

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“I am not so blind that I can't see darkness.”
Dangerous Beans
Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Indeed. That would be great and i see no reason why in the future it would not happen.

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“I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking; I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humour (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late.”
-J.R.R Tolkien