Student Reference Assistant Benjamin Yusen shares his exploration of Boorman’s abandoned film epic.
Most people who are familiar with the director-writer-producer John Boorman know him for the iconic 1981 fantasy film, Excalibur. Many will be as shocked as I was to discover that this film was originally intended to be a standalone adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The extensive collection of Boorman’s work held at the Lilly Library (Boorman, John mss., 1940-2014) includes papers from completed projects and many of his unfinished works. The abandoned adaptation of the Lord of the Rings is likely the most recognizable of the works, and this portion of the collection can tell researchers much about Boorman’s vision for Tolkien’s fantasy epic. Included are folders detailing correspondences between Boorman and his cowriter, Rospo Pallenberg; casting choices; song lyrics; design ideas; financial and legal details; and even a publication in Isis: The Oxford University Magazine dated 13 February 1971.
During the gestational period of this potential film, Boorman, an English filmmaker, was in correspondence with Tolkien’s Press Secretary. According to the correspondence, Tolkien was “anxious to hear about your [Boorman’s] plans,” and remarkably, “seemed pleased” Boorman was not planning to create an animated film. Tolkien’s preliminary interest and support of a possible film adaptation must have been exciting. The two made plans to talk in the summer of 1970, but it is unclear whether a meeting ever occurred; Boorman took ill, and by the Autumn of 1970, did not have the funding he needed.
Had they met, Tolkien might have been delighted by the meticulous effort Boorman put into the film. He not only designed a set—which was recycled for Excalibur—but also calculated the crowd numbers for battle scenes. It is here one can see why this production never received the funding it needed; the director’s notes conclude that the film required 66,810 men, and 8,050 horses for the totality of the battle scenes.
The cost of this alone would be crippling for any production. As a fan though, I am heartened by Boorman’s integrity to this part of the source material. Boorman and Pallenberg also planned meticulously the cultural touchstones for Hobbits; attendees of Bilbo’s 111th birthday were to be serenaded with the melodious cacophony of the ukelele, the fiddle, the bagpipes, and the saxophone (though perhaps this last would have been to Tolkien’s chagrin—it is well known that the Professor neither understood nor liked jazz or rock n’ roll). Suffice to say, I was delighted to read of this, and I daresay many fans would have been pleased by this eclectic collection of instruments.
However, I suspect not all Boorman and Pallenberg’s changes would have been met with gladness. “What we need here is sex” wrote Pallenberg of Frodo’s meeting with Galadriel; he would go on to insist that Lothlorien be treated as a “House of Delights/Whorehouse.” There would be no Phial of Galadriel, for Frodo’s recollection of his night with the Lady of Lothlorien would replace its narrative utility against Shelob, climaxing with euphoric noise.
On the other hand, fans would likely have been more divided over a scene in which Boromir and Aragorn shared a kiss to seal the pact of their brotherhood. Though concerningly, this pact is initiated via the kisses of Arwen, who is a 13-year-old girl in this adaptation. Another worrying change is the treatment of Gimli. At the Doors of Durin, the writers replaced the riddle meant to unite Elves and Dwarves, with a deranged ritual. Gandalf heaps verbal and physical abuse upon the Dwarf, forcing him to dig a hole while beaten, all to recover the ancient Dwarvish language from his genetic memory.
Fans of the Peter Jackson adaptation love Frodo as portrayed by Elijah Woods; but Pallenberg thought Ringo Starr might be interested in that role. The documentation of casting choices goes on to suggest Sean Connery as Aragorn; Jack Nicholson, Jeremy Irons, or Daniel Day Lewis as Gandalf; and Jeff Goldblum, or Danny Devito as Gollum.
Though the film never even entered a real casting process, Boorman received plenty of solicitations for roles, as well as positions in the crew. One of the more interesting inquiries was from an Elektra Records agent writing on behalf of her client, Robert Plant, of Led Zeppelin. The agent wrote that “HE LOOKS TRULY MAGICAL,” and would be the perfect “ELFLORD,” indicating a preference for the role of Elrond—though Legolas or Glorfindel are not out of the question.
Plant would have been disappointed to know that Boorman preferred Tilda Swinton as a possible Elrond and planned to cast only female actors as Elves, regardless of the gender of the character. Another eager party was actress and artist Isabelle Collin Dufresne, a.k.a. Ultra Violet. A student of Salvador Dali, and “Superstar” of Andy Warhol, it’s unclear which role interested Dufresne. Boorman’s notes do not indicate much interest in working with either celebrity, though it is possible that the project simply did not progress enough to warrant any real consideration.
Much of the work that went into this project would later be redirected towards Excalibur. Though we have a substantial record of Boorman’s plans for The Lord of the Rings, we cannot know how it would have turned out.
John Boorman is best known for his work on films including Point Blank (1967), Deliverance (1972), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Excalibur (1981), and Hope and Glory (1987). He began his career as a critic and radio employee, before moving into film, first with the BBC, then later in Hollywood. He has won five Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a BAFTA Fellowship. In 2022, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
Those interested in viewing Boorman’s Lord of the Rings notes and script can find them in Boorman, John mss., 1940-2014, Box 61. The archives are open to the public, but we do request that patrons schedule appointments at least one week in advance. You can request a Reading Room appointment on our website or by emailing us at liblilly@iu.edu.
Benjamin Yusen is a PhD student in English Literature. His research centers on the early Medieval literature of Northern Europe, focusing on transmission, reception, and intercultural impacts. He is also interested in the intersections of Fantasy and Science Fiction literature and medievalism.
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