Intense security measures are nothing new for major productions, like for Marvel and Star Wars movies and even the series GAME OF THRONES. There are all sorts of matters being taken on the sets and in the offices to keep spoilers under wraps, but the offices of the new LORD OF THE RINGS series at Amazon have taken “keep it secret, keep it safe,” to absurd new heights – implementing techniques that would make it seem like they're housing the nuclear launch codes.
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In a new story by THR, Amazon Studios chief, Jennifer Salke, spoke about her plans to take Amazon’s distribution of content even further, but then she dropped a bit of a bombshell when it came to the security of the writers room for the LOTR series. She detailed a room under lock and key, protected by a guard, necessitating high-tech gear and, while not stated but easily imaginable, a wall that opens up to reveal the room is actually located miles below the ocean surface.
There's a fantastic writers room working under lock and key. They're already generating really exciting material. They're down in Santa Monica. You have to go through such clearance, and they have all their windows taped closed. And there's a security guard that sits outside, and you have to have a fingerprint to get in there because their whole board is up on a thing of the whole season.
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The folks at Marvel and Lucasfilm famously try to keep things quiet by controlling everything from promotion to the handling of physical scripts. Jude Law detailed the intense security measures while working on CAPTAIN MARVEL, saying they were essentially chasing his kids down to have them sign NDAs. However, it’s hard to imagine them having everyone go through secret agent training just to work on a movie or show. At this point, the folks at Amazon are coming off like Gollum clutching and guarding his Precious in a dark, wet cave.
This is especially peculiar given the fact that the world of LOTR created by J.R.R. Tolkien is pretty well-known at this point. While the new Star Wars trilogy is dealing with mostly an original story and characters, and Marvel is guarding secrets pertaining to massive cliffhangers, I can’t imagine what is exactly being guarded with this series. Is it just to keep all plot details that really aren't all that shocking hidden, or are they cooking up something really unique that no one is expecting?
At a certain point, plot details will start coming out, and already people are coming to conclusions based on details surrounding a recently posted map of Middle-earth on Amazon social media accounts. But is any secret worth keeping writers in boarded-up rooms with heavily guarded doors? Do they even risk going to the bathroom, instead going in jars a la THE AVIATOR?