• AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.worldOP
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    2 days ago

    In the books, Saruman and Wormtongue escape from Isengard and set up shop in the Shire while the hobbits are still busy wrapping things up in Gondor and Rivendell. They turn the Shire into an industrialized dystopia, destroying the environment and subverting the local hobbits with promises of wealth and power before betraying them and turning them against each other. (Basically, what Frodo sees in the film adaptation when he looks in the Mirror of Galadriel.)

    When Frodo & co. return, they organize an underground resistance movement that escalates into a popular revolution.

    • MotoAsh@piefed.social
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      2 days ago

      Holy shit, that sounds like an epic story to leave out of the trilogy movies! lol Though of course I understand why they wanted a nice clean happy ending to that tale. Not like Peter et. al. knew it’d blow up so huge and they’d end up able to do far more eventually.

      • justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io
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        2 days ago

        The stated reason for cutting it is that the ring was already destroyed, Sauron already dead, it was somewhat bizarre to have a 2nd, smaller final battle.

        Yes it adds to the story and gives Wormtongue/Saruman a sendoff the theatrical release lacked. Its great wordbuilding but just like Tom Bombadil, doesnt add to the overall movie.

        • MotoAsh@piefed.social
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          2 days ago

          Yea, definitely a story beat that works far better in book form. Or I guess later movies/shows as suggested, too. lol

      • AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.worldOP
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        2 days ago

        There would be continuity issues with Jackson’s adaptation, too—in the films, Saruman and Wormtongue die at Isengard (in the extended edition), Galadriel says Frodo’s dystopian vision of the Shire is what will happen if he fails, Rosie Cotton is a barmaid instead of a fellow member of Sam’s agrarian resistance cell, Odo Proudfoot and the rest of Hobbiton are visibly unchanged when the hobbits arrive, etc.