10 Lord of the Rings Stories That Haven't Been Adapted to Movies or TV (Yet) (2024)

J.R.R. Tolkien's works, both written by himself and those compiled and edited by his relatives, have bubbled to the surface of the fandom over the last few years as a renewed love and sharing of The Lord of the Rings books and film trilogy has been shared with the next generation of would-be fans. With the mixed release of The Rings of Power giving hope that some of Tolkien's wider breadth of lore about Middle-earth will be adapted to the big and small screen in the future, fans are excited to know what will be adapted next.

The Tolkien estate has had difficulty with film and television producers in the past about which specific rights and stories they can have the rights to adapt. This is a large reason why The Rings of Power is such a difficult adaptation of only very specific parts of the lore that predates The Lord of the Rings books, specifically. In time, rights to these extensions of Tolkien's lore will likely be trickled out to filmmakers who are seen as trusted in keeping to the source material, so when that does happen, what are the spinoff stories that fans are itching to see realized on film?

10 The Incomplete LOTR Sequel Leaves Plenty For Expansive Interpretation

• Pages of The New Shadow were published in The Peoples of Middle Earth.
• Borlas was featured in The Return of the King film as a child and was played by Billy Jackson.

Time and time again, the incomplete Lord of the Rings sequel, known as The New Shadow, which only spans about 13 pages in length, teases readers with Middle-earth after The Lord of the Rings' happy ending. However, The New Shadow holds a lot of promise in delivering a story that could be a kick-off point to a tale that could turn into a Game of Thrones-like series that delves into the politics of Men, especially that of Gondor as Aragorn and Arwen's son, Eldarion holds the throne and must deal with the noblemen who grow restless for unrest after years of peace and pacification of their enemies.

The story is mainly told from the perspective of Borlas and Saelon, an older man of Gondor and a younger man who is being mentored by him. Word comes that a cult is forming to try and revive the ways of the Dark One, which is happening under the nose of Gondor's authority. The book was never completed because J.R.R. Tolkien found it too depressing and bleak in comparison to his epic tale of friendship that precedes it. However, in today's market, having this fragment of the sequel could springboard a dark continuation that could entice more cynical audiences.

9 Aldarion and Erendis

• Tar-Aldarion was considered the first ship king of Númenor.
• Erendis was from a lesser house that had a shorter lifespan than the royal houses of Númenor.

Part of the Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, the tale of Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife. This sweeping and tragic romance about a life of adventure at sea versus the love for another has the feeling of an Odyssey-like tale blended with a tumultuous love story as Aldarion's desire to venture the seas comes in the way of committing to his love for Erendis.

This tale ends with Aldarion's ventures reaping the benefit of Númenor's crown once his father abdicated due to a lack of ambition. Aldarion's adventures involve journeys to Middle-earth and befriending the elves Círdan and Gil-galad. This explorative approach to a story within Tolkien's world could be a beautiful and paced foundational tale that has plenty of room for visual creative license in showing Númenorians early in the Second Age.

8 The Children of Húrin

See Also

The Lord of the Rings: Théoden Was King of Rohan, But He Was Actually From a Different Middle-earth KingdomThe Lord of the Rings: Gondor and Rohan's Complicated Relationship, ExplainedHow Rohan Was Founded in The Lord of the Rings1 Lord Of The Rings Movie Change Created A Plot Hole With The Witch-king's Death

• The Children of Húrin was finally published in 2007.
• The story is followed by Beren and Lúthien, in The Great Tales.

The Children of Húrin is the first of what is known as the three Great Tales that were finally published in 2007, written by Tolkien, and compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. The story takes place beyond the Grey Havens, which were flooded by The First Age's cataclysm. This dark tale is about the battle against Morgoth, The First Dark Lord, and a cursed line of people known as The Children of Húrin, specifically the tale of Túrin, son of Húrin.

This very dark tale subverts expectations about Tolkien's usual style of family with a self-hating hero who succumbs to violence and temptation as he combats Morgoth's wrath. Wrought in murder, incest, and moral ambiguity amidst the epic adventure, it is certainly a story that modern audiences would be surprised and excited to see adapted to the screen. Such a tale put up against a modern fantasy show like House of the Dragon would certainly make for healthy competition.

7 The Tale of Beren and Lúthien

• Lúthien's Statue is featured in The Rings of Power season 1.
• The couple is one of the rare few to be granted a second life by the Valar.

The second of The Great Tales which has been referenced in The Lord of the Rings books and films via a song Aragorn sings. It is chiefly the story of one of the first interracial marriages between a Man and an Elf. The epic has all the trappings of a tragic love story and a Gaelic-style fantasy adventure blended into one. Furthermore, Lúthien is Elrond's great-great-grandmother, connecting her importance to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Filled with battles between man and beast, and Sauron and Morgoth as well, Beren and Lúthien feature both lovers not just as romantic partners, but as a force to be reckoned with as they use their respective powers to steal a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth. Considering the story is somewhat mentioned in The Lord of the Rings books, its rights are the most likely to be in the running for adaptation. It could make for a decent two-film pair or even a mini-series.

6 Helm Hammerhand

• Helm Hammerhand died frozen in the snow, still standing with his eyes open.
• The legend of Helm was such that even in death, he defended The Hornburg as a wraith.

The prolific ninth King of Rohan, whose statue looks over the walls of Helm's Deep, and whose horn bellowed the epic charge of King Theoden and Aragorn from its gates, certainly deserves some media of his own. Helm Hammerhand's legacy took place during the Third Age, and at the time, Helm Hammerhand had to thwart the threat of Dunlendings from Rohan, who had taken over Isengard and used it as a base of operations.

The political tension between the Dunlendings and Helm's heavy fist against their imposition on Rohan led to a great war that rallied the Dunlendings, Easterlings, and the Corsairs of Umbar against Rohan at once. Many tales of Helm's victories, defeats, and great feats of combat are well documented and revered among the people of Rohan. The life of Helm Hammerhand and his line would make for a great action epic, similar to the tune and style of Vikings.

5 Unfeatured Battles and Intrigues During The War of the Ring

Other Battles Not Featured in The Lord of the Rings

Rarely are the battles and intrigues that happened during The War of the Ring, but not directly in the path of the Fellowship's story, talked about. However, these stories feature a great wealth of exciting encounters and heroics that are unsung by the Elves, Dwarves, and beyond. An anthology series documenting story arcs that happen parallel to the War of the Ring could create a great platform for multiple creators to adapt them to the screen.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars has had incredible success adapting the Clone Wars period into a huge culmination of different storylines and perspectives to give audiences an idea of what the greater scope of the war was like. In that same respect, seeing the Elves, Dwarves, and other fronts of Gondor and Rohan fighting different allies of Sauron, far from the definitive battles, could well be The Clone Wars of The Lord of the Rings franchise. To double down on this idea, it could make a fantastic animated series.

4 The Deeds of The Blue Wizards/Maiar

• The Blue Wizards were sent to stir up rebellion in the East and South.
• Alatar and Pallando were friends.

Up until Unfinished Tales was published in 2020, mention of the Blue Wizards known as Alatar and Pallando. They have largely been known for their presence in the South and East, trying to thwart the influence of Sauron's relations with the people there. Although the extent of their success in doing this is unknown, it's said that Gandalf was the only one of the Istari who ended up remaining faithful and/or alive.

Because the strokes of the Blue Wizards' stories are broad, it leaves a great deal of creative license for filmmakers to show the regions of the South and East and how Alatar and Pallando affected them. It leaves a lot of room to show revolutions and revolts among the Haradrim and Easterlings as they try to rally under Sauron's banner, giving a more dynamic view of the peoples from these regions rather than writing them off as just being inherent followers of the Dark Lord.

3 Gondor Versus the Corsairs of Umbar

• The Corsairs originated from those known as Black Númenóreans.
• Umbar was eventually re-captured by King Aragorn II "Elessar".

For 362 years after their forming, the Corsairs of Umbar have been a sharp thorn in the side of Gondor's coastlines and rivers. Bred from settlers of Umbar and a Dunedain line of nobles who rebelled against Gondor, the Corsairs were part of many campaigns against Gondor, some for themselves, and often rallied alongside the other allies of Sauron. They have killed Kings and crossed swords with a disguised Aragorn long before he fought them in The War of the Ring.

Considering pirate tales are always a popular sub-genre of historical dramas, having a fantasy pirate series set in Middle-earth could be a very original and intriguing perspective to see, especially if taken from the perspective of the leaders of the Corsairs. Aside from historical animosity and conquest, what drives this long legacy of piracy onward through the centuries?

2 Aragorn's Years In Hiding

• Elrond kept Aragorn's identity secret for 20 years before telling Aragorn where he came from.
• Overall, Aragorn waited 67 years to claim the Throne of Gondor.

Aragorn's long history as Strider as well as other names before his involvement in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is at this point well-known among the fandom. Aragorn has fought side-by-side with Gondorians and Rohirrim and crossed swords with many enemies through his decades of subterfuge. He often becomes a renowned hero, constantly proving himself worthy of being King one day, but never truly answering the call.

This mystique and complexity of his need to feel like he is chosen by the people and not his pedigree is one of the big qualities of his valor that makes him beloved by the fandom. Seeing a series that follows Aragorn's many identities and exploits throughout Middle-earth would make for an incredible march across Tolkien's lands in true fantasy adventure style.

1 The Fall of Gondolin

• Gondolin thrived for 394 years.
• The city was hidden in the Beleriand region of Middle-earth.

The Fall of Gondolin is the third of The Great Tales. Gondolin was a secret city built by the Elves, its fall came when the armies of Morgoth descended upon it and besieged the city. The story begins with the wanderings of Tuor, who is searching for the city of Gondolin. Eventually, he meets King Turgon and tells him of Melkor's designs to take Gondolin.

The story then descends into the betrayal of Gondolin's security by the Elf Maeglin, who eventually traitorously gives up the location to Melkor who brings his armies from Angbad to destroy the city. This tragic and epic tale of the fall of one of the crown jewels of Elven civilization would paint a beautiful and bittersweet picture of the First Age and the glory of the Elves before Melkor's attack. The Fall of Gondolin would make a beautiful hand-drawn animated miniseries or live-action one.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a series of epic fantasy adventure films and television series based on J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The films follow the adventures of humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits and more in Middle-earth.

Created by

J.R.R. Tolkien

First Film

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Latest Film

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Upcoming Films

The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim

First TV Show

The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power

Latest TV Show

The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power

First Episode Air Date

September 1, 2022

Cast

Elijah Wood , Viggo Mortensen , Orlando Bloom , Sean Astin , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Sean Bean , Ian McKellen , Andy Serkis , Hugo Weaving , Liv Tyler , Miranda Otto , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Martin Freeman , Morfydd Clark , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Charlie Vickers , Richard Armitage

Character(s)

Gollum , Sauron

Video Game(s)

LEGO Lord of the Rings , Lord of the Rings Online , The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum , The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age , The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: War in the North , The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth , The Lord of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth 2 , The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Genre

Fantasy , Action-Adventure

Where to Stream

Max , Prime Video , Hulu