Miffed Star (Christopher Lee) Boycotts Rings Premiere

Stuff.com ^ | 11-14-2003 | Tom Cardy

[SkyPilot]

Fable. Trick. Not true.

[BenLurkin]

" . . .(we don't have the Scouring later, as the book does), . . ."

Nuts.

[Sam Cree]

Well, he's not really quoted as being mad, even though the headline states it.

[Jalapeno]

Yes, I suspect this article makes a mountain out of a mole hill.

Leading Question: Mr. Lee, were you disappointed at he cutting of your scene.

Lee: Of course I'm disappointed!

I also like the part about the 81 year old man not going to the premiere is a "boycott".

[LinnieBeth]

Only handling it in the EEs means the movie (non EE DVD) crowd never knows what happened to him?

Good reason to read the book, might be a very good provocation.

I am however disappointed in his not attending the opening: you would think that his love of LotR would be enough to get him there.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Ah, what a shame. I sure am excited about Return of the King. And the extended version of the Two Towers... only a few more days.

[SuziQ]

Hmmm, still can't quite figure what PJ has in mind with no Saruman at alll!?

Don't know how this is going to work. How are they going to explain the presence of the palantir? Did he tack that on to the TTT EE, and he's assuming we'll have seen that before we see RoTK?

[FReepaholic]

>>...Miffed Star (Christopher Lee) Boycotts Rings Premiere ...<<

The title is misleading. He's not boycotting, he just ain't going.

Lee is right: why go if you're not in the film?

[Gordian Blade]

For what it's worth, I never liked his performances anyway, but I credit that as much to the screenwriting as to the acting. In the book, Saruman is a great but fallen wizard who was gradually corrupted by desire for the power of the One Ring. He foolishly believed he could control Sauron in time. In the movie, he is just another evil minion of Sauron with no will of his own. We never see what was once greatness in him nor do we get the full tragedy of his fall because we don't get a clear glimpse of the height from which he fell.

[maquiladora]

What this article fails to mention is the rest of Peter Jackson's email (which Knowles should not have published):

"Thank God for DVD, since it does mean that a version of the movie, which has different pacing requirements, can be released later. The Saruman sequence will definately be a highlight of the Extended ROTK DVD."

[maquiladora]

Misquote is retracted by both ITV and BBC

Posted by: Admin Nov 13, 2003

ITV and the BBC have retracted comments which were attributed wrongly to Mr. Lee and which he never made. The original source of these comments was the Press Association and we would like to make very clear that neither ITV nor the BBC can be faulted. A lot of websites and newspapers published the same statement, some word for word, while others exaggerated it even more. There cannot be any doubts o­n what he really said, since it was during a live TV show.

The original fabrication said:"He now plans to boycott the film's première in December this year". ITV has changed it to:"Lee has however denied reports that he would be boycotting the film's premiere in December, as previously carried in this story". While the BBC simply just took that comment out completely.

From the Official Chris Lee Website.

[BradyLS]

The theatrical releases are for the masses; the extended edition DVD's are for the aficionados. (But it will be very cool to see Pelennor Fields on the big screen nonetheless.

Theatrical releases are for "the masses?" It's wonder they don't call them extended pay-per-view trailers! This is one movie fan who wishes the wholly fabricated Dream Sequence were left to the Two Towers Extended DVD and the Saruman Sequence left in the Theatrical Release!

[BradyLS]

I don't ~think~ they can close out RoTK without finishing him off, even in the theatrical versions. Only handling it in the EEs means the movie (non EE DVD) crowd never knows what happened to him?

I agree. For the crowd unfamiliar with the books and not yet desirous of the extended DVD, the Ents will come across in retrospect as an extremely convenient movie tool for checking Saruman. Lucky for Middle-Earth Merry and Pippin were able to convince them to attack Isengard!

[BradyLS]

Don't know how this is going to work. How are they going to explain the presence of the palantir? Did he tack that on to the TTT EE, and he's assuming we'll have seen that before we see RoTK?

Peter may cut out any scenes involving the Isengard/Orthanc Palantir. Or he may do some fancing editing to make it look he's using the one in "Minas Anor" ;-) at the appropriate time instead.

Still, I think it is a very dissappointing way to treat Saruman, who's been built up as a villain with tremendous presence in two films and projected into the third.

[HairOfTheDog]

I have seen screen caps with both Pippin and Aragorn with the Pilantir!

[BradyLS]

Last I checked, the director has the final word on what is & isn't in the movie.

Not always. Often the producers have the final word. Sometimes even the stars have a say on what gets left in or out.

Neither are director's infallible. I'm sure I would rather have seen Jackson's Saruman Sequence in The Two Towers. The Dream Sequence could have been saved for the Extended DVD.

[BradyLS]

I have seen screen caps with both Pippin and Aragorn with the Pilantir!

I don't doubt it. Fortunately, we don't have much longer to wait before we see how things are resolved-- for the Theatrical Release!

[HairOfTheDog]

Fortunately indeed!

[BradyLS]

How in the world can The Return of the KING be done without Saurman?

One way is to leave him on the cutting room floor. How do ya like them apples? ;-)

Me? I don't! :-D

[Sloth]

What dream sequence do you mean? The only one I remember offhand was Frodo's at the very beginning, but the depiction of Gandalf battling the Balrog was an event that really occurred, so I didn't really think of it as a dream sequence.

I was much more bothered by the fundamental character changes in Faramir & the Ents.