Lord Of The Rings Movie Rights Explained (& Why A New Film Could Happen)
What's happening with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings movie rights, why are they for sale, and does this mean Middle-earth could return to the big screen sooner rather than later? The tale behind Lord of the Rings' legal rights is almost as long and convoluted as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology itself. From misunderstood animations to big-budget blockbusters, tabletop strategy to MMORPGs, and Second Age streaming to second-rate musicals, The Lord of the Rings is a franchise with a far-reaching presence across the world.
Alas, the rights to Tolkien's work are far from straightforward, with different companies holding different privileges, and those privileges changing hands more often than Gollum changes personality. The situation has become more complex in recent years, as a plethora of Lord of the Rings projects entered development within a relatively short period, including Amazon's Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and New Line's Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
Related: Lord of the Rings: Every Theory About Who Tom Bombadil Is
The latest twist in the everlasting Tolkien rights saga sees a chunk of the author's IP put up for sale — a chunk that includes permission to make more Middle-earth movie magic after Peter Jackson's The Two Trilogies. Here's a breakdown of Lord of the Rings' current legal landscape, and what that means for the franchise's big screen future.
The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955) brought J.R.R. Tolkien considerable literary success, leaving the author various suitors vying for the rights to adapt his books. In 1969, Tolkien struck a deal with United Artists — one of the biggest studios of its time — for a sum most would consider an inaccurate reflection of
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