The Lord of the Rings screenwriter Philippa Boyens teased a major story that Warner Bros. Pictures and the production team of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Boyens might be looking at adapting aside from the recently announced The Hunt for Gollum film.
Andy Serkis as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Warner Bros. Pictures
Speaking with Nerd of the Rings at the end of February, Boyens was asked about which stories in the appendices would be cool to adapt into other mediums. After briefly discussing the Angmar war between the Witch-king of Angmar and the Men or Arnor, Boyens teased a story with dragons that was at top of her list.
She said, “There’s some others in there that, this one in particular. Because everyone thinks of dragons as very heated, and hot, and fiery. There you go. There’s a hint. Let’s see if anyone gets what I’m meaning. Because there are other types of dragons out there.”
After Nerd of the Rings states, “There are wars involving dragons,” Boyens responded, “Yes, or not necessarily wars involving dragons. There are other types of worms.”
She added, “I always though that’s interesting and actually not outside of the world or the precursors to the Rohirrim. I’ve always thought that was an interesting story and very Tolkien.”
Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), Warner Bros. Pictures
It’s likely that Boyens is talking about the War of the Dwarves and Dragons that took place between T.A. 2570 to 2589 that drove Durin’s Folk from the Grey Mountains and to the Lonely Mountain. In Appendix B Tolkien detailed that in TA 2570 “About this time the Dragons reappear in the far North and begin to afflict the Dwarves.”
In 2589, Tolkien notes that “Dáin I [was] slain by a Dragon.”
Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), Warner Bros. Pictures
READ: Peter Jackson Explains Why He’s Returning To ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ With ‘The Hunt For Gollum’
In Appendix A, Tolkien provides more details about this war between the Dwarves and the Dragons, “But Thorin I his son removed and went into the Far North to the Grey Mountains, where most of Durin’s folk were now gathering; for those mountains were rich and little explored. But there were dragons in the wastes beyond and after many years they became strong again and multiplied, and they made war on the Dwarves, and plundered their works. At last Dáin I, together with Frór his second son, was slain at the doors of his hall by a great cold-drake.”
Tolkien continues, “Not long after most of Durin’s Folk abandoned the Grey Mountains. Grór, Dáin’s son, went away with many followers to the Iron Hills; but Thrór, Dáin’s heir, with Borin his father’s brother and the remainder of the people returned to Erebor.”
The Dwarves prospered at Erebor with the Arkenstone. However, word of the kingdom’s wealth would reach Smaug the Golden and “without warning came against King Thrór and descended on the Mountain in flames. It was not long before all that realm was destroyed, and the town of Dale near by was ruined and deserted; but Smaug entered into the Great Hall and lay there upon a bed of gold.”
Richard Armitage as Thorin and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), Warner Bros. Pictures
What do you make of this tease from Philippa Boyens about a potential adaptation of the War of the Dwarves and the Dragons?
