Crowdfunding has brought the world some pretty cool stuff: A popular smartwatch, a terrific indie video game, and some really expensive potato salad. In just a few short years, everyone from high schoolers to Hollywood directors have turned to crowdfunding campaigns to bring about a lot of weird and (mostly) interesting products that might not otherwise see the light of day.
Now, a group of "The Lord of the Rings" fans led by UK-based Jonathan Wilson have started an IndieGogo campaign titled Realise Minas Tirith to construct an exact scale replica of the fictional city of Minas Tirith as seen in "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" somewhere in southern England. They just need 1.85 billion pounds sterling (or roughly $2.9 billion US dollars).
Although Wilson and his team of passionate architects and structural engineers acknowledge that the project is "a light-hearted venture with virtually no chance of succeeding," they've certainly meticulously planned it out — complete with a seven-year construction timeline that includes plans for both residential and commercial properties.
At the time this is being written, Realise Minas Tirith has raised £31,360 — quite a lot of money, but a drop in the bucket compared to the sum needed to make the project a reality (no backer gets charged unless the funding goal is met). To those inspired enough to donate, the developers are promising everything from backer's names etched on a massive monument (for those who donate £15 or more) to a Lordship/Ladyship to the biggest contributors (£100,000 or more) — entitling them access to all of the non-residential areas of Minas Tirith, priority bids on property, and access to exclusive events once the city is open (which, again, is probably never).
We've seen a lot of crowdfunding campaigns over the past few years, but this one might be the craziest.
In case you happen to be new to "The Lord of the Rings" novels or films, Minas Tirith, is the capital of Gondor, the nation that is the first line of defense against the hordes of orcs and monsters which lie in the neighboring land of Mordor.
Why are we telling you this? Because the campaign to Realize Minas Tirith has inspired a counter-campaign: Destroy Minas Tirith. They're big fans of orcs and Mordor.
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