The Magical Mystery Tolkien

For that subset containing the intersection of Tolkien fans with Beatles fans –

Did you know …


In the late 1960s the Beatles planned to make a film of The Lord of the Rings, with themselves as Gollum (John), Frodo (Paul), Gandalf (George), and Sam (Ringo), but were unable to purchase the rights.

- page 21, The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide, Reader’s Guide, by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond, © 2006


Don’t know if it’s true or not, or what the source for this is, but it does appear in this thick, scholarly tome I’ve been perusing. I’m kinda glad that it never happened and, truthfully, I can visualize no positive outcome from the Beatles bringing the LotR to life, save in that brilliantly trippy melodic poetical songstyle they mastered, which while it may have defined music to come, would do absolutely no justice to Tolkien’s magnum opus.