Last week, I cast my hook deep into our little conclave to see if anyone would take my Fun Fact Friday "bait."
To my surprise, many did chomp down on it.
So I figured, why not just launch the damn thing and see how it fares?
Worst-case scenario is that this pilot series crashes and burns in a few weeks.
The best-case scenario is everyone enjoys it (myself included), and it goes on and on like this poxy UK heatwave.
So let's not dither any longer!
Given I'm a fantasy author, and you are a fantasy reader (otherwise, how in Mordor did you stumble in here?), I thought it would be fitting to kick off this inaugural edition of fun facts about the series that really put epic fantasy on the map.
So, with no further ado, lords and ladies, I present you with four facts about The Lord of the Rings I bet you didn't know:
- Christopher Lee was the only cast member who met Tolkien. The actor (who played Saruman) once bumped into the author in an Oxford pub in the 1950s. Lee was a lifelong fan and read the books every year.
- Viggo Mortensen's famous scream was real pain. When Aragorn kicks the orc helmet in The Two Towers, Mortensen actually broke two toes on the heavy prop. The take was kept because of his authentic reaction.
- In the books, Frodo waits 17 years after Bilbo's birthday party departure before leaving the Shire with the Ring — something the films compress for pacing.
- Aragorn started out as a Hobbit. In early drafts, the character who became Aragorn was a Hobbit named "Trotter" who wore wooden shoes. Tolkien gradually transformed him into the tall, kingly Ranger we know.
I don't know about you, but #2 and #4 surprised me most. #1 is actually quite sad.
The bloke spent a good chunk of his life creating Middle-earth and writing the books, but never lived to see it come to life on the big screen — nor meet the other cast who, in my humble opinion, played their roles with excellence.
As bittersweet as this might be, on the plus side, we have an amazing trilogy we can revisit whenever we want.
(I, for one, cannot wait to watch it with my sons when they sprout a couple more feet.)
Here's another fun fact:
If it weren't for The Lord of the Rings…
There would absolutely and unequivocally be no The Divided Region.
I know, quite the horror story.
Readers of both series will easily see the shadow of Tolkien in many passages of my work, and I'm not arrogant enough to deny it.
He set the bar for every fantasy author, and if I can come even within a fifth of that, let me tell you, Legionnaire…
I'll walk the fields of Elysium with a grin so wide, it makes Buzz Lightyear look like he's perpetually frowning.
(Don’t ask. I've just done a Toy Story marathon with Master Liam.)
Anyway, that's the first issue of Fun Fact Friday in the can. Let me know which one surprised you most.
And if I piqued your interest about The Divided Region, you can learn more about it here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
Have a great weekend. Stay classy out there!
DJJW