Read from CBR:
Warner Bros. recently insisted it has sole control over the rights to make movies based on The Lord of the Rings, following rumors that the Saul Zaentz Company is shopping these rights to other studios.
"[Warner Bros. subsidiary] New Line Cinema has maintained the theatrical film rights, both live-action and animated, for over two decades now." The spokesperson added, "We are currently in production on our anime film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and look forward to bringing audiences back to Middle-earth."
Reports that the Saul Zaentz Company intended to auction off the movie, merchandising, gaming and live-event rights to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit first surfaced last week. These rights also reportedly included limited matching rights for two other works by Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, should the author's estate greenlight any future adaptations of either book.
Warner Bros. contends that it continues to hold the film rights to The Lord of the Rings, which should theoretically prevent the Saul Zaentz Company from selling these rights to another studio. Warner Bros.' long-term license agreement reportedly hinges on several conditions, such as the studio actively developing the property and making regular payments to the Saul Zaentz Company-- requirements which Warner Bros. apparently believes it has met.
Warner Bros. recently insisted it has sole control over the rights to make movies based on The Lord of the Rings, following rumors that the Saul Zaentz Company is shopping these rights to other studios.
"[Warner Bros. subsidiary] New Line Cinema has maintained the theatrical film rights, both live-action and animated, for over two decades now." The spokesperson added, "We are currently in production on our anime film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and look forward to bringing audiences back to Middle-earth."
Reports that the Saul Zaentz Company intended to auction off the movie, merchandising, gaming and live-event rights to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit first surfaced last week. These rights also reportedly included limited matching rights for two other works by Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, should the author's estate greenlight any future adaptations of either book.
Warner Bros. contends that it continues to hold the film rights to The Lord of the Rings, which should theoretically prevent the Saul Zaentz Company from selling these rights to another studio. Warner Bros.' long-term license agreement reportedly hinges on several conditions, such as the studio actively developing the property and making regular payments to the Saul Zaentz Company-- requirements which Warner Bros. apparently believes it has met.
