How Should They End The Return of the King?

[Ariana Undomiel]

Ok, regardless of the rumors, regardless of the way the book ends, how do you think PJ and co should bring a final closer to this film trilogy. I know lots of us are upset with the changes that have been made and lots of us like the some of the changes are there are lots of different opinions, but as a fan of the effort that was made and a fan of the film how would you hope PJ would end the trilogy. Like I said, this pole doesn't matter what rumors have been circulated, this is to find out exactly how you would like the film to come to a close in the way that you think would work best and still be in line with the books even if not exactly the same.

In my opinion I would like there to be a collective ending in a way. For example I think that it would be very neat for as Frodo, Sam, Galadriel, Gandalf, and Elrond are riding to the grey havens that they have Bilbo's last song being sung with gentle music and then have visions of what happened to all the other members of the fellowship. It could show Aragorn and Arwen in wedded bliss as rulers of Gondor. It could show Merry and Pippin happy in the Shire or travelling back to Gondor and Rohan. It could show Eowyn and Faramir married. It could show Rosie and Sam's children happily playing in Bag End. It could show Gimili and Legolas spending time together or something like that. Then it could come back to the present and end with the company leaving the Grey Havens. Then at the very last after it shows the ships dissapearing into the West it could show Sam standing alone waving goodbye, but then have a vision of him someday too sailing into the West to be with Frodo for ever. I don't know I think there are lots of cool ways they could end it.

- Ariana

[Sarah]

I would like it to be as simillar to the book, but I believe PJ won't do it. He expanded on the Arwen/Aragorn love story, so it'll probably end w/ his crowning and their marriage.

[Anamatar IV]

It would make for a great ending to end with the crowning of Aragorn and his marriage even if so many thigns have been done like that.;)

That is how I think it will end. How I think it should is Frodo sailing away and the ship just keeps going until it is out of sight...then big letters fade into the screen saying "The End" and the screen blackens. Then cheers from the 30 or so people in the theater and everyone piles out.;)

[LotR_Girl]

"the World has changed" - wowie! But I'd like it to have same ending as the book - or we will kill PJ while he's sleeping

[Nóm]

Originally posted by Sarah
I would like it to be as simillar to the book, but I believe PJ won't do it. He expanded on the Arwen/Aragorn love story, so it'll probably end w/ his crowning and their marriage.
The Grey Havens is a crucial part of this whole story, I think he'll include them.
I will literally laugh like a maniac at his foolishness if he does not.

I'd like (or at least I think I would) for the movie to end with the ship sailing away while the hobbits watch. I just dislike movie Sam Gamgee to the extent that I would prefer it doesn't end the way it does in the book.

I just know this will break my life long record of never crying at a movie. :eek: ;)

[Legolas254]

I say they should end it with Sam backi in the Shire.

[Flame of Anor]

I voted for other because I think it would be a combination ending. I think my ending would be very close to that of Ariana's ending. Sure show Sam standing there waving good-bye, but then have Galadriel do a voice over sort of thing like Prologue like in the beginging of the Fellowship. That would be really cool.

-Flame

[ssgrif]

I would have liked the Scouring of the Shire included as the official ending but we all know that its not going to be included.

So, I know that PJ will include the Grey Havens, and so I think that the end sequence will be mixmash of Sam coming home after going off to the Grey Havens with Frodo. And then shots and narration of the deaths of Arwen and Elessar.

:)

[Ol'gaffer]

Originally posted by Anamatar IV
Then cheers from the 30 or so people in the theater and everyone piles out.;)

30 people? at the theatre that I saw TTT at there were 700 people cheering their lungs out when the movie ended!

[Lindir]

I want it very much to end with the Gray Havens, though not interrupted by stories about how happy everyone else is, that would be really crappy. I like the Gray Havens because it's bitter sweet and it makes for a perfect ending. The idea of the film ending with Aragorn's and Arwen's marriage does not appeal to me at all. I don't much like movies that end in big celebrations (like most of the Star Wars films for example) and for LOTR I think it would be highly inappropriate. It's in many ways a very sad story, but this is, IMO, what makes it so beautiful.

[Flame of Anor]

Originally posted by Ol'gaffer
30 people? at the theatre that I saw TTT at there were 700 people cheering their lungs out when the movie ended! 700!?!?!!! wow that is a big theater. The people started cheering when the movie started where I went. It was sooooo good. and of course they cheered at the end as well.

-Flame

[moon cloud]

I think the final, final shot will be of frodo, gandalf et all on the boat, going to the grey havens. Just before that, there will be a big mesh of happy endings, like the marriages and the hobbits all happy in the shire. Perhaps they will show sam becoming they mayor? There will also be a voice over from galadriele, like in the beginning. Does anyone know where legolas and gimli sail on the boat they build? Perhaps pj will include them on the ship going to the grey havens.

[Ariana Undomiel]

I am not sure that they would show Legolas and Gimli building the ship to go to the Grey Havens because if they showed that they would also have to show them taking the body of Aragorn because that is how it happened in the book. See in the book there was a warning given to Legolas from Galadriel concerning the see. She warned him that if he ever heard the cry of the sea birds his heart would forever belong to the sea. This prophecy came true and when all was finally over, Legolas eventually returned to the Bay of Belfelas, I think, built a ship and then sailed up the river with Gimli to Gondor where they retrieved the body of the recently deceased Aragorn, King of Gondor, and then taking his body they sail out to the sea and into the West. They obviously could change that in the film, but who knows what they will leave in or out for the final ending.

- Ariana

[Odo Proudfoot]

Where did you get the bit from about Aragorn's body? I know Legolas sails after Aragorn died and takes Gimli with him, but Aragorn's body? Never heard of that...

Odo

[Ariana Undomiel]

It's in the appendices at the end of the Return of the King.

- Ariana

[Flame of Anor]

Boy howdy, I really need to read the entire book again. But his time concluding with the Appendises. I have not read them yet and all my friends seem to know what happens after Frodo, Galadriel, and Gandalf leave the Grey Havens. Sheesh I need to go and steal my book back from my brother and read it once more.

Maybe the shouldn't end the movie :D hehehe Just kidding. I do hope that PJ will put the weddings in there. But the final ending should be the Grey Havens. I don't think that PJ should show Sam saying, "Well, I'm back." I think that would be a major let down for some of the not-so-enthusiastic-as-some-of-us fans.

-Flame

[Odo Proudfoot]

Originally posted by Ariana Undomiel
It's in the appendices at the end of the Return of the King.

- Ariana

Sorry... can't find it. Which appendix?

Odo

[33Peregrin]

yeah.... what appendix??? I thought I read them all... but only once, so i may have missed that part.

About the ending.... I hope it ends with something about the Grey Havens. Maybe not Sam saying "I'm Back". I think Flame_of_Anor is right about that. I think they should do great weddings, but I don't want them to elaborate to much on them, seeing as Tolkien never even went into them. I don't think we will be let down with the ending. As much as PJ wants to reveal Tolkien to the nonLOTR people, he wants to please the fans. He has strayed so far from the book in some places that he owes us (and probably knows it) a good- EXCELLENT ENDING. The movie started right, then went different places, I think it should end to the book.

What I really want is to cry. I mean really cry. Start bawling really hard like I did after my first time reading IT.

At least Elijah says "The third part is really tragic" "People have no idea what's coming to them". That gives me some hope.:)

[FoolOfATook]

1541- In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. It is said that the beds of Meriadoc and Peregrin were set beside the bed of the great king. Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle-earth of the Fellowship Of The Ring

From Appendix B "The Tale Of The Years"
Aragorn was buried, with Merry and Pippin laid to rest alongside of him, and his remains were not taken with Legolas and Gimli.

[Foe-Hammer]

Well any good ending (for closure) should answer all questions brought up in the movie. But here is a possibility....

After the destruction of the ring, a narrative that includes weddings and the grey havens. Already established by PJ in the first movie and I think would work quite well as an ending to TRoTK. He started the movie more like an ancient story being told to an audience and it would fit to end it that way (with appropiate scenes). He could even narrate the scouring of the shire because he narrated many key points (battles ect) leading up to our introdution to the shire. Final scene ending with Frodo and Sam's farewell.

[Odo Proudfoot]

On the FotR EE Commentary track they give away that the movie will end as it begins - with a voiceover from Galadriel. She may say the same lines, or different ones, that is not clear.

So I suspect that we see the ship sailing away towards the sunset, Galadriel starts to speak, and as she says her lines the screen goes slowly to black....

The world is changed....I feel it in the water....I feel it in the earth....I smell it in the air....

Odo

[moon cloud]

All this talk is making me feel excited and sad at the same time. I don't want the films to end, especially in such a sad way, but then I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

[wee kev]

I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

Having read the book four times, I still find the ending very sad. I keep hoping Frodo will live happily ever after. Life sucks, so why do books have to?

Betcha PJ goes for the 'lived happily ever after' ending to get his Oscar! :(

[33Peregrin]

I loved the sad ending... I don't know why. I don't think I'm really a dismal person....

FoolofaTook, Thanks! I just read that part of the appendices the other day. I don't know how I could have missed it, or forgotten it.

That will be awesome if the movie ends with a Cate Blanchett narrative. I like how the movie began with that. I just got the EE the other day, which is sad. We don't even have a DVD player yet. We will get one on February 14, so 17 days till I watch it again!! I have the theater version on VHS and DVD (don't ask why). My dad wouldn't even let me preorder it. I had to walk to Walgreens at six- thirty in the morning on August sixth. Sorry to get off topic. I just think all of that is really sad.:D Oh wait...:( :( :( :( :(

[Rangerdave]

How about showing the bloopers during the end credits

Sort of ala Jackie Chan.

RD

[Arvedui]

I guess that would probably call for a fourth film: "Lord of the Rings - the Bloopres Appendices"....

I hope the movie ends with Sam coming back from the Gray Havens and his "Well, I'm back!" line.
It shows that although he is an extraordinary Hobbit capable of doing extraordinary things, his heart is in the Shire doing ordinary things. And, of course that the bad times are gone, it is time to go on with their lives.

[Remnant]

I believe they should end with Cate doing the same as in the beginning. Telling all that happens to the Fellowship, and how they won the war of the ring ... Telling more happy than sad ...
true some is bittersweet .... but so is life ...

But before that { and maybe I am looking at the ending differently than most} ... they should show the happier times of the fellowship.
KING Elessar reigns for, what ... 100 years? He and Arwen have children together.
Legolas and Gimli explore different things together.
Sam marries and has lots :) of children.
His daughter is in Queen Arwen's court ...
Eowyn and Faramir reign as Stewards to the King of Gondor ... Eomer is KING too ...
Aragorn makes many alliances as King of Gondor and Arnor ... men and elves live peacefully ..

Yes, everyone sooner or later dies ... so that isn't a problem. Frodo is happier going to the undying lands with Elrond and Co. ..
Arwen gives up going so she can be with Aragorn; and Frodo goes in her place ... but it is infered in the appendix that her choice was so that WHEN, she and aragorn die, they will be together in eternity ...
I think that is so beautiful ... :) :) :') I will cry thru the whole movie!!!

[MrFrodo]

I would like to see a round ending....just seeing what happens to all them.

I read somewhere (dont have a link, sorry), that at the very end we will find out that Sam has been the narrator of the film all along, reading from the red book to his children.

[greypilgrim]

Voted other for 2 reasons.
1* I like all the final endings listed here, the best is the one at the Havens. That final scene would be my choice for the end.
2* I think it will end with Galdriel's talking about the various lore/futures of all the Peoples of M.E, The Elves leaving M.E., and Something Majorly concerning Aragorn as the Renewer of all Mankind/King of Gondor/Arwens guy, (all voiced-over, like intro to The Fellowship.)Which was the best intro to a movie ever!

I dont think it will show Sam standing there with The Red book in his hands, but that would be cool, too. I love that he gets that in the end, plus they showed it alot in the movie!!:D

[Grond]

Foe-hammer, I really like your idea. It would make a very good ending indeed. I fear that since the movie has thus far largely been an Aragorn/Arwen thing though that the climax will be the crowning of the King and his marriage. All the rest will be window dressing.

But.... I hope my favorite FAD, Foe-hammer is right. That would make a perfect ending, at least explaining some of the things that have gone on in the world after the Hobbits return home. The Scouring is too anticlimactic to be included in total but a nice narrative by Galadriel would do.

I also suspect that we may see some summary ending being given by Samwise Gamgee reading from the Redbook to his daughter Elanor. Sean Astin's real life daughter is in the credits as Elanor Gamgee so there will be some connection there.

[Talimon]

I don't know if anybody mentioned this yet, but PJ has already told us how the film ends. On the commentary track you can hear him saying that it ends how it started: with a voice-over from Galadriel. As for emphasis being put on Arwen/Aragorn, I wouldn't worry. PJ has said repeatedly that his favorite scene in the whole trilogy is the last one at the Grey Havens.

[33Peregrin]

That's wonderful!! I just got the EE, and we don't even have a DVD player yet!! We will get one soon.... 16 days till I watch it!!!!! Hooray!!!:D :D :D

[moon cloud]

Where does pj say that on the EE?

[Niniel]

On the director's commentary for FOTR, right in the beginning when they are talking about the prologue, they mention that there will be an epilogue as well. And later they mention it again, I'm not sure when.

[*Lady Arwen*]

With Sam of course! They've already changed too much in the movie, let it end like it does in the book.

[lightingstrike]

I think that they should have it end by Frodo sailing away with Sam watching. OVer all of this should be Galadriel saying the lines she said at the beginning of FOTR: "The World is changed."

[Elf Goddess]

The crowning of Aragorn as King of Gondor and his marriage to Arwen.