Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you’re writing from.)
Q: Is it really true that the Beatles were going to make a live-action version of The Hobbit starring themselves as the various characters? — Bill, Houston, TX
A: The Oracle says yes! According to Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, Paul McCartney told him all about it at the 2002 Academy Awards. McCartney was going to play Frodo, George Harrison was to play Gandolf, Ringo Starr was to play Sam, and John Lennon would play Gollum. Galadriel was to be played by 60s model Twiggy!
The Beatles in 1968
The Beatles inquired about the rights to the book in 1968, as a possible movie follow-up to their first two films, A Hard Day’s Night and Help. But Tolkien had literally just sold them to United Artists. United Artists was interested in casting the Beatles, and treatments were written up, but, according to Paul McCartney, it was Tolkien himself who ultimately rejected the idea.
“There probably would’ve been some good songs coming off the album,” Jackson told Wellington’s Evening Post of the Beatles’ movie plan.
Q: Years ago, I remember reading that Stevie Nicks was working on a movie version of her great song “Rhiannon.” Whatever happened? — Shelley, Milwaukee, WI
A: The Fleetwood Mac star has said in interviews that she first heard the name “Rhiannon” while reading a paperback, loved it, and wrote the song, but it wasn’t until years later that she realized that the real Rhiannon was a Welsh god, not a witch at all (interestingly, the lyrics still work).
The Oracle reports that Stevie did work on a Rhiannon movie project for years, writing many new songs to accompany it. Manager Danny Goldberg wrote about their efforts to get something off the ground in his 2008 book, Geniuses: My Life in the Rock and Roll Business:
The first home video recorders had recently come on the market and we spent many a night watching fantasy films like Dumbo and Beauty and the Beast and brainstorming about Rhiannon. Notwithstanding the fact that between us we had zero experience in writing or making movies, Stevie was a big enough star that many power brokers in the movie business wanted to hear the Rhiannon movie pitch.
Stevie Nicks
After many meetings with Hollywood power-brokers, United Artists eventually did option the project:
Paul Mayersberg, the man who had written the David Bowie vehicle The Man Who Fell to Earth, was hired as a screenwriter. Although the film was never made, the process took the better part of a year, during which time I further consolidated my relationship with Stevie. I still have a cassette somewhere of the Rhiannon songs that Stevie wrote, and hope that they see the light of day. They contain some of her best poetic lyrics. Around the same time, Stevie played me a children’s song called “The Goldfish and the Ladybug,” which she imagined could be an animated TV special. I was able to get a development deal at the ABC network after she met with their two most senior executives, Fred Pierce and Tony Thomopoulous, but it, too, would eventually run aground based on the chasm between Stevie’s rich imagination and the commercial limitations of the business.
Q: How does Piers Anthony do it? – Sarah, Puyallup, WA
A: The Oracle presumes you are referring to the Xanth author’s prolificacy, which, after 139 published titles (and counting), is obviously impressive.
“I like to keep writing,” says the self-described “writaholic.” The Oracle knows this from personal experience, as he once wrote Anthony a fan letter and received a fantastic, two-paged single spaced-letter in return.
If there’s any doubt that the man must write in his sleep, check out his latest, endless (but fascinating) newsletter.
Q: Leonard Nimoy’s The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins. Worst. Song. Ever? — Elliott, Seattle WA
A: The Oracle says yes. Emphatically.
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A Rhiannon movie would have been spectacular. I think something in animation rotoscope ala the early 80’s “Fire and Ice”. Remember that?
Can you believe some stupid executive made the decision NOT to make that movie!!!
(I wondered if you’d find this post of mine, Snicks.)
Man, I’m not sure. Woulda been kinda cheesy with the Beatles. On the other hand, it would definitely have been time for a remake by the time Jackson came along.
I do love that song.