Demosthenes @ 3:18 am EST
Ringer Spy Kevin dropped us a line to tell us that IGN's subscriber only channel has some snippets already about EA's Return of the King film. What's very interesting is what these snippets may imply as plot spoilers for the film!
Kevin writes:
Now, the best place to find (film) spoilers may not be video game articles, but here's an excerpt from the IGN E3 preview of EA's Return of the King (the one based on the movies).
Here's the excerpt:
Gamers can defend the walls of Minas Tirith in the role of the white wizard Gandalf; lead a noble army of reluctant soldiers through the Dead Swamps and in doing so raise the Army of the Dead in Aragorn's, Legolas', or Gimli's boots; and, using every ounce of constitution left in your body, you'll deliver the ring to the fiery depths of Mount Doom as Frodo and Sam.
End excerpt.
Kevin writes that this seems to imply that while the "Army of the Dead" is in, the Paths of the Dead may be out; in EA's game at least.
The conclusion seems correct to me, in the EA game Aragorn will raise the Army of the Dead from the Dead Marshes. But whether that would apply to the movie as well definitely remains to be seen. I, for one, will await corroborating evidence from other sources before I accept that this is going to occur in RoTK the movie.
Update:
Well, I said I was unconvinced by a Gaming report alone, and here's a counter from a much more credible source. John points out that Brian Sibley's "The Making of the Movie Trilogy" contains a reference to Paths of the Dead on page 61. It says:
"Time to go on," says Richard, "time to take the paths of the Dead!"
And we are passing between sculpted rock walls in black styrofoam carved with a riot of ruined buildings -- steps, doorways, towers, and turrets -- all this way and that, and each numbered with a small yellow sticker and pained a luminous green for the purposes of digital photography.
Additionally, Argo from our Discussion Boards points out this Gamespot review of the same game.
From Gamespot.com, a very good gaming site;
"After the defeat of Saruman and the forces of Isengard, the attention of the broken Fellowship of the Ring has turned collectively toward Mordor and the final destruction of the One Ring. You'll be able to play as eight different characters in various areas taken directly from the movie, such as Gandalf as he helps defend Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pellennor Fields; Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they traverse the Paths of the Dead; and Frodo and Sam as they strive to reach the fiery cracks of Mount Doom while opposed by the evil hosts of Mordor"
Perhaps IGN was mistaken?
Update 2: Ringer Spy Tar Anaclime sends this scan of a section of a map the NZ Film Commission produced which lists all the set locations from Lord of the Rings. Note it lists Paths of the Dead twice.
Unless something else emerges, I guess we can count the report of the deletion of the Paths of the Dead pretty much debunked ... for now.