With the release of the final hobbit movie last Christmas, the saga of Middle-earth concluded its final chapter. Like the characters returning from their long journeys, we came to the end of the road.

Since then, rumors have been floating around that perhaps we’ll get to return to Middle-earth. The most likely candidate for a movie is the Silmarillion, which, along with Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, comprise the main works of Tolkien’s world.

I’m a passionate Lord of the Rings fan and I understand the hesitation to leave Middle-earth for good after spending so much time immersed in the unique setting Peter Jackson built for the movies. Who wouldn’t want to go back and experience another adventure?

Still, I think making a Silmarillion movie would be a terrible idea.

Here’s why:

1. Since it’s the history of Middle-earth, it would be hard to make a movie and not a documentary

I can’t think of any feasible way to depict the epic scope of the Silmarillion in a single movie or even a trilogy of movies. The book covers hundreds of years of Middle-earth history and ranges across continents that don’t even exist in the Middle-earth we’ve become familiar with.

2. It’s too huge and expansive to turn into a movie

Even though the book itself is roughly a third of the length of Lord of the Rings, it’s much wider in its span. Covering all that material would be a logistical and financial nightmare.

3. It only appeals to a niche audience

Among Tolkien’s works, the Silmarillion is the least popular. It’s for the small percentage of rabid fans. I’ve read it, and I honestly found it dry and tedious in places, with only a few interesting sections. There aren’t enough die-hard Tolkien junkies who would watch the movie to justify the production costs.

4. After Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, it would be a letdown

The Hobbit trilogy had its flaws and it wasn’t nearly as awesome as Lord of the Rings, but I still feel it ended on a satisfying note—thank you Billy Boyd. Anything after that would be a letdown.

We’ve parted from Middle-earth on the right foot. No need to ruin that by bringing out a subpar movie that will leave us with a bitter feel in our loyal geek hearts.

5. There’s not a single storyline to follow, which would give it a fragmented feel

Going back to my first point, the Silmarillion isn’t an ordinary book with a central plot as much as it is a compilation of individual stories with the goal of chronicling the major events in Middle-earth’s history. It reads more like a textbook than a story.

Lacking that cohesion, it wouldn’t translate well into a movie

6. Building off #5, it would lack a main character to engage with

In the Silmarillion, the different races are more the emphasis rather than single characters.

Sure the story contains some cool characters, Beren and Luthien at the top of the list, but their story is only a small slice of the timeline. There aren’t any central characters like in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Without that personal connection, it’s hard to become absorbed in a story.

7. The length of time and the breadth of the setting covered is too large

It would give us only a passing glimpse, like an airplane flyby, instead of immersing us in the environment, as was the case in Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.

Do you want to see a Silmarillion movie? Do you think we’ll ever have another movie based in Middle-earth? I would love to hear your thoughts.