Despite Peter Jackson’s movies spanning several of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books and a staggering number of hours, there are still plenty of Lord of the Rings stories that haven’t been shown on screen. Some, such as the Barrow-wights, didn’t make an appearance in the previous movies, although that story in particular seems to be a focus of The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, one of several upcoming Lord of the Rings projects.
Even with those new projects in the works, however, it seems that some of the franchise’s most interesting stories remain on the cutting room floor. Of all those that haven’t yet been shown on screen (and don’t seem to be coming, based on current information), these 5 represent some of the best Lord of the Rings spinoff opportunities.
Given that Peter Jackson’s original trilogy of Lord of the Rings movies spans around 12 hours total when considering the extended editions, there’s little surprise that many stories were left unused. However, one in particular, called “the Scouring of the Shire,” was a disappointing omission. In the books, when the hobbits return from their journey, they discover that their beloved home, the Shire, has been taken over by Saruman. They therefore must fight to get their land back and save their way of life.
This would have been amazing to see in the movies because it carries such great narrative significance. For one, in terms of the hobbits, it proves how much they had grown and truly become heroes in their own right. For another, though, this would have represented an accurate depiction of war, wherein one battle, even a massive one, doesn’t mean that every problem is resolved. Sadly, this is very unlikely to happen, as it would be nearly impossible to fit into what was done in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Elrond and his daughter Arwen are a significant part of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and that isn’t just because Arwen and Aragorn end up together. On the contrary, while many scenes do pertain to that relationship, Elrond is instrumental in the war against Sauron, not only by giving the Fellowship of the Ring its start but also by encouraging Aragorn to accept his birthright and, as Elrond literally says, become who he was born to be.
However, one major facet of Elrond’s character was left out of the movies, which is the fact that he has two sons, Elladan and Elrohir. In the books, the brothers are considerably more active in the fight. In fact, it is Elladan and Elrohir who lead the Grey Company, made up of thirty Dúnedain, alongside Halbarad, which becomes essential in winning the war. With their absence in the original trilogy of movies, it would be wonderful to see them appear in a spinoff—and, depending on the timeline, this could theoretically still work.
One of the most glaring absences in Peter Jackson’s movies was that of Tom Bombadil, an incredibly powerful yet mysterious figure who at times played a key role in the books. This has in fact been a complaint from audiences since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, in which it would have made the most sense for him to appear. However, Jackson had his reasons for leaving this character out.
Namely, a character who is so powerful and so unusual would take up considerable time from the core narrative—time that Jackson didn’t really have—in addition to stirring up other questions and confusion. Yet, if there was a Tom Bombadil-focused spinoff, then it could perhaps work to do a deeper dive on the character and his role in what transpires.
In The Return of the King, audiences got to see Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo go off to the Undying Lands, but they are far from the only members of the Fellowship who journeyed there eventually. In fact, despite the Undying Lands traditionally being for elves only, with some exceptions, many of the Fellowship members end up there. That includes Sam and Gimli in addition to Gandalf, Frodo, and Legolas.
It would be nice to see both Sam and Gimli’s path to the Undying Lands on screen. For Sam’s part, he is allowed entry because he was a ring bearer, as he briefly carried the ring when he believed Frodo was dead in Shelob’s Lair. Gimli’s connection with the Undying Lands is much less clear, although it’s suggested that Legolas somehow found a way for Gimli to be granted an exception—something that audiences would no doubt love to see.
One of the single most terrifying beings in all of The Lord of the Rings is the Mouth of Sauron, and he absolutely deserves his own spinoff story. Unlike some other examples, such as Tom Bombadil, the Mouth of Sauron did actually play a role in Jackson’s original trilogy. Specifically, he appears very briefly towards the end of The Return of the King.
However, as such a unique, horrifying villain, he absolutely deserves more screen time. In fact, this choice would have multiple positive sides, as it would necessarily mean a deeper dive into Sauron’s inner workings on screen as well.
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