{"id":112369,"date":"2022-02-18T20:03:01","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T01:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=112369"},"modified":"2022-02-18T20:08:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-19T01:08:46","slug":"warner-bros-and-saul-zaentz-co-spar-over-tolkien-film-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2022\/02\/18\/112369-warner-bros-and-saul-zaentz-co-spar-over-tolkien-film-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Warner Bros. and Saul Zaentz Co. spar over Tolkien film rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Variety reports that Warner Bros. and the Saul Zaentz Co<\/a>. are currently in private mediation to settle differences over license rights to film adaptations of key J.R.R. Tolkien’s works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Variety’s sources, the argument stems from disagreement about whether the studio has met ongoing obligations needed to maintain the long-term license that it has held since the late 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement to Variety, a Warner Bros. spokeswoman said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Line Cinema has maintained the theatrical film rights, both live-action and animated, for over two decades now. We are currently in production on our anime film \u2018The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim\u2019 and look forward to bringing audiences back to Middle-earth.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Warner Bros. earlier this week announced<\/a> a release date for that film, and showed off the first samples of concept art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Variety points out, license deals such as this “often involve producers conducting a certain level of development and production activity by pre-determined dates, among other clauses.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is the Saul Zaetnz Co. (through its subsidiary, Middle-earth Enterprises) that holds the rights to exploit The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit “in movies, video games, merchandising, live events and theme parks.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variety adds that this includes limited matching rights should the Tolkien Estate make movies or other content based on two Tolkien books published after his death: The Silmarillion, and The Unfinished Tales of N\u00famenor and Middle-earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Saul Zaentz Co. also recently announced <\/a>that it will auction all its Tolkien IP rights. Universal and Warner Bros. are both reported to be interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more at Variety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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