As one of the greatest cornerstones of pop culture and genre fiction as a whole, The Lord of the Rings still has tens of millions of fans around the world. And they’ll be glad to know that the legacy of the author behind the books will remain intact for the foreseeable future.
It all started when a passionate philologist with an unrivalled sense of imagination set out to create one of the biggest and most detailed fictional universes in the history of literature. And while most Tolkienists would argue that the novels are universally acknowledged on their own, Peter Jackson’s highly acclaimed trilogy of movies further helped cement the cultural powerhouse that is The Lord of the Rings.
Even now, Amazon’s television adaptation remains one of the most hotly anticipated series coming in the near future. And 2020 in general has been a great year for fans of Middle-earth. It was only a couple of months back when the cast of the original trilogy reunited in an online get-together. And shortly after that, Warner Bros. announced that Jackson was working on a 4K remastered edition of the six-movie saga, which came out a couple of days ago to positive reception from the fandom.
But the fight to preserve and promote the legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien now extends to everyone. Recently, several cast members from the films, including Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and John Rhys-Davies, launched a crowdfunding campaign to save the writer’s house on 20 Northmoor Road in Oxford before it’s put up for sale.
The initiative has also brought in other people related to the fictional world of Tolkien, including musician Annie Lennox, Sir Derek Jacobi, and legendary illustrator John Howe. The goal is to purchase the home and set up a literary hub for all Arda enthusiasts. For that to happen, though, the team needs to raise approx. $6 million between now and March 15th, 2021. There’ll also be renovations to comply with building regulations, and additional funding will go to literary programs. But once established, the organization will sustain itself, financially speaking.
So, if you’re looking for a way to honor the creator of The Lord of the Rings, you can join Project Northmoor by vising the official website.