Lord Of The Rings Composer Howard Shore May Return For The Amazon TV Series
Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings" series may not technically be associated with Peter Jackson's widely influential trilogy, but that's not stopping the ambitious streaming service production from finding common ground through a handful of shared elements anyway.
First it was the decision to film the first season in New Zealand, which famously provided the backdrop for the magnificent vistas and gorgeous landscapes of Middle-earth throughout the trilogy of classic movies back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. (Filming for the series has since shifted to the U.K.) Now, the connections between the two different adaptations of author J.R.R. Tolkien's vision will have grown even stronger with the possible addition of composer Howard Shore to the Amazon series, responsible for much of the sweeping musical themes and leitmotifs recurring in each film of "The Lord of the Rings" and all three "The Hobbit" films as well.
An Unexpected Reunion
Folks, strap on your dancing shoes — or Hobbit feet! — because Howard Shore may very well be coming back for a return trip to Middle-earth. According to Deadline (via Collider), the Academy Award-winning composer behind films such as "The Silence of the Lambs," "Se7en," "The Aviator," and "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (never forget!) has entered into talks to join Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings" series, which won't actually be titled "The Lord of the Rings." Shore's work on Peter Jackson's trilogy deservedly won accolades and awards for imbuing a strong sense of musical continuity and consistency throughout each installment, powerfully adding layers to the action on-screen by composing distinct, memorable, and effective themes for major locations and characters.
On a basic talent level, adding someone of Shore's caliber is another easy win for a series that has already watched its budget balloon to exorbitant levels that even Peter Jackson & Co. would have blanched at. Many a blockbuster franchise these days tends to lose something subtle, yet integral by constantly cycling through composers — Marvel and the "Harry Potter" movies come to mind — rather than maintaining and evolving from the established material that audience ears are already familiar with. Shore certainly knows how to deliver on that front and, provided that he's kept on for multiple seasons, he could provide an instant shot of credibility and quality for years to come.
What this potential hiring could help us glean from the creative direction of the series itself, however, is something I'm a little less certain about. While it appears that Amazon will be hewing closer to Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" than many fans may have expected, it's even more surprising that Amazon would want to create even the impression of audio continuity with the Peter Jackson films. It's likely that Shore will be legally unable to use any of his specific compositions from the previous movies, but it's an unusual decision to bring back the same composer nonetheless and intentionally draw direct comparisons between the two. Personally, I would've preferred that this new series set itself apart from the classic movies and stayed away from their iconography altogether — including the use of New Zealand, shared characters, and now Howard Shore. I'm looking forward to this series either way, so we'll see how it all shapes up.
Amazon's currently untitled "The Lord of the Rings" series will debut sometime in 2022.