Lord Of The Rings Reboot Can Fix The Worst Part Of The Movies
Last year, New Line Cinema, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Pictures, announced they acquired the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise. While the announcement remained mysteriously vague about why they purchased the rights, it’s known they plan to make a new series of films set in Middle Earth, drawing from J.R.R. Tolkien’s publications, and likely (though it’s unconfirmed) aim to reboot Peter Jackson’s trilogy from 2001. While we’d much rather see new stories from Middle Earth than mess with the classics Jackson made, the bright side is a reboot is an opportunity to fix one of the original trilogy’s biggest flaws: the underdevelopment of Faramir’s character arc.
Justice For Faramir
Peter Jackson’s original films did an admirable job of adapting Tolkien’s sprawling epic into a cinematic masterpiece. While many changes were made for cinematic effect, the Lord of the Rings movies stayed mostly true to the books, and when they didn’t, Jackson often made the story better. One of Jackson’s more significant changes was expanding the roles of characters like Arwen and Eowyn. But the new films can take this further by expanding on Faramir, another important character.
Peter Jackson Expanded On Other Characters
In The Lord of the Rings books, Arwen and Eowyn are barely characters as Tolkien treats them more like symbols. Arwen, the Evenstar of her people, is depicted primarily through her connection to Aragorn and her symbolic role as a representation of hope and love. Meanwhile, Eowyn, the Shieldmaiden of Rohan, is portrayed as a courageous warrior seeking to break free from the constraints of societal expectations. However, in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations, both Arwen and Eowyn are granted expanded narratives and agency, becoming more than symbols but pivotal players in the struggle against Sauron.
Faramir Is A Deeper Character In The Books
Similarly, Faramir, Gondor’s noble captain, symbolizes honor, integrity, and selflessness. His character is richly layered in the books, displaying unwavering loyalty to his kingdom and a profound sense of duty. However, the portrayal of Faramir in the original Lord of the Rings films failed to capture the full depth of his character. His arc fell flat at the end, feeling like it wrapped up too quickly, leaving audiences craving a deeper understanding of his motivations and inner conflicts.
A Reboot Can Let Every Character Shine
Expanding Faramir’s character development in the Lord of the Rings reboot presents a golden opportunity to rectify this oversight. By delving into his backstory, exploring his relationship with his father Denethor, highlighting his internal struggle between duty and personal desires, and, yes, giving him his happy ending by actually showing his wedding with Eowyn, filmmakers can imbue Faramir with the complexity and humanity he deserves. Through nuanced storytelling, Faramir’s journey can serve as an even more powerful exploration of themes such as sacrifice, redemption, and the burdens of leadership.
More Lord Of The Rings Films
The only thing we know about New Line Cinema’s project is that there will be a series of movies based on Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. We don’t know if it will be a reboot of Peter Jackson’s trilogy or something new. But if it does end up being a reboot, it’s the prime occasion to expand on beloved characters like Faramir and give them the development they deserve.
