3 ms·
I doubt his popularity was the issue. Time was. Tom is singular. He doesn't appear anywhere else in the story. And he's only mentioned in conversation. Easy to
by crag 11y ago
I doubt his popularity was the issue. Time was. Tom is singular. He doesn't appear anywhere else in the story. And he's only mentioned in conversation. Easy to edit him out. And save precious time for the film.
- ghaff 11y agoGood film adaptations of novels, especially books as rich in backstory as LOTR, almost always have to be simplified even if it does drive a lot of fans crazy. And, of course, even well-regarded and popular novels might well have benefited from tighter editing. Not saying this is the case with Tom Bombadil in LOTR, but it's probably true of back half of Return of the King. Even with the scouring of the Shire cut, the film version of Return of the King really went on too long after the climax.