The Legal Battle Over The Hobbit Movie Rights Explained
The Legal Battle over The Hobbit Movie Rights Explained
Origins of the Middle-earth Film Rights
Following the publication of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien sold the rights to his published Middle Earth books to American Film Studio United Artists in 1969 for approximately $2 million in today’s dollars.
- Tolkien was owed a 7.5% royalty interest in any future adaptations of these works.
- These rights covered film, stage, gaming, and merchandise for both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The Rights Transference
United Artists would never produce a film based in Middle Earth, having abandoned the infamous Borman Project from 1970. Instead, they sold most of their rights to the Salzman Company in 1976.
- The Salzman Company formed Tolkien Enterprises, later renamed Middle Earth Enterprises, to manage their Middle Earth licenses.
- With these rights, we would end up with the three animated films: The Rankin’ Bass Hobbit, Ralph Backshe’s The Lord of the Rings, and The Rankin’ Bass adaptations.
The Hobbit Aftermath
In this section, we delve into the events following The Hobbit and explore Bilbo’s life after his grand adventure.
- Bilbo returned to the Shire and his old life, but his reputation was tarnished due to his association with elves, dwarves, and wizards.
- Gandalf kept an eye on Bilbo, growing increasingly suspicious of the One Ring in his possession.
The Lord of the Rings Era and Beyond
70 odd years later, The Lord of the Rings would be adapted to film, but what happened in the intervening years? In this video, we explore the post-Hobbit geopolitical situation in Middle Earth.
Conclusion
The rights to adapting Tolkien’s works have been a complex issue, with multiple companies holding various licenses over the years. However, with the successful adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, it seems that we may finally be nearing the end of this long and winding legal journey.
