J.R.R. Tolkien

Thoughts on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Super Bowl Trailer

By Jack Butler February 14, 2022

Does Amazon understand that it’s not merely adapting recognizable fantasy I.P., but rather something that’s supposed to capture the spirit of Tolkien?

There Are Both Promising and Ominous Signs for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in a New Preview

By Jack Butler February 12, 2022

A Vanity Fair spread about Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings TV series provides causes for both optimism and concern.

New Amazon Lord of the Rings Series Gets Title, First Teaser

By Jack Butler January 19, 2022

We still know too little to determine whether The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will live up to the immense potential of its source material.

Saruman the Demagogue

By Jack Butler January 5, 2022

Saruman, the fallen wizard in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, displays some remarkably modern vices for a high-fantasy novel written decades ago.

J. R. R. Tolkien’s Frodo vs. Peter Jackson’s

By Jack Butler December 8, 2021

How the films’ depiction of Frodo differs from the novel’s.

NR PLUS

Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, 20 Years On

By Jack Butler December 2, 2021

Whatever its flaws, we should be glad it exists.

One Cryptocurrency to Rule Them All? Not So Fast, Says Tolkien Estate

By Jack Butler November 29, 2021

The ‘JRR Token’ cryptocurrency was clearly leaning on the Lord of the Rings connection as a kind of promotional gimmick.

Elijah Wood: A Lord of the Rings Orc Was Modeled after Harvey Weinstein

By Jack Butler October 6, 2021

It has not yet been confirmed which orc was based on the notorious Hollywood sexual predator.

Return to Middle-earth

By Bradley J. Birzer September 26, 2021

A new, expertly edited collection of J. R. R. Tolkien’s writing on his elaborate mythology reminds us of its greatness.