The Lord Of The Rings News

Legal Battle Brewing between Tolkien Estate and Warner Bros.

March 13, 2013

According to reports, an $80 million lawsuit has been waged between the Tolkien Estate, the legal body which manages the property of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Warner Bros., the studios responsible for producing the Lord of the Rings film franchise.

It is currently understood that the Tolkien Estate has launched litigation proceedings against Warner Bros. for apparently overstepping their contractual copyright entitlements to merchandise falling outside the scope of the initial agreement.

As reported, the case was sparked into life due to the discovery of the existence of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring online slot game. A product the Estate claims the copyright agreement does not extend to in the existing contract. It is further claimed that the existence of this game has upset many fans of the Lord of the Rings books series, who believe the Estate is responsible for the game's development and has subsequently stained the iconic status of the author’s works. The Estate is specifically agitated by the online gambling products and has produced a further list of product categories it believes are exempt from the initial contract.

Much of the case rests on the definition of the term 'tangible' products and its interpretation in the existing rights contract initially signed in 1969 with Zaents Co, a named co-defendant. It is understood that The Estates main contention seems to be that tangible products only consisted of the products in place at that time such as clothing, toy figures, etc and did not extend to the advanced technology present in today's digital and downloadable gaming products, which are accessible across the smartphone, tablet and social networking spectrum. This prompted the Tolkien Estate to seek an injunction and launch an $80 million lawsuit. Warner Bros. has yet to respond to approaches for comment.

1. www.hollywoodreporter.com
2. www.casinokiwi.co.nz
3. www.rollingstone.com

"The One Expected Party" - a Magnificent Party!

January 24, 2013

You are welcome to one of the best parties of the year - The One Expected Party in The american Legion Hall (Los Angeles, CA). It is 10 hours of excitement, entertainment and fellowship! You may also enjoy free food and drink, games, auctions, slideshows and even a live screening of the 85^th Academy Awards. After the television broadcast ends, you are invited to the live stage show! You'll get your blood pumping when hearing upbeat and modern Celtic music. You shouldn't miss Charles Ross brings a taste of the magic of "The One Man Lord of the Rings" to our stage. Besides, you can rock away with the legendary Billy Boyd and his Beecake.

Hope you'll have a great time and your memories will last long!

Tolkien Society celebrates author's birthday

December 29, 2012

The Tolkien Society is actively preparing for the celebration of Tolkien's birthday, the author of the famous Hobbit. The celebration is planned on January 3 with world-wide festivities. It's the 12th such a great annual event.

On January 3, Tolkien fans will unite worldwide to celebrate Tolkien's birthday. It is celebrated in many UK cities, including Brighton, London, Oxford, Bristol, Milton Keynes, and York. The main celebration will take place at 9pm on the 3rd January 2013.

The Society will be encouraging people to read Tolkien's 1937 book The Hobbit which was overshadowed by the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. People will be invited to talk about the book, the film and their authors on Twitter, Facebook and other websites.

The Tolkien Society was founded in 1969 dedicated to promoting the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien; J.R.R. Tolkien remains the Society's Honorary President in perpetuo whilst his daughter, Priscilla, is the Society's Honorary Vice President.

The Hobbit hits half a billion

December 28, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is announced to bring more than $500 million to the worldwide box office.

The blockbuster has earned about $180 million in the USA (as it was expected) and $344 million internationally. The total is steadily climbing. It says that the film has become one of the most famous and profitable.

Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. President of Domestic Distribution, said: "We are extremely gratified by the response of moviegoers who love the film and, in many cases, are taking this terrifically entertaining 'Journey' to Middle-earth more than once. We anticipate that positive word of mouth and repeat viewings will continue to result in strong returns well into the New Year." Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. said: "These fantastic box office numbers demonstrate that the film's playability has no borders. Peter Jackson has created a truly global event with a film that thrills audiences in any language. Warner Bros. joins our partners at MGM and New Line in congratulating him, his cast and crew, and everyone involved in this film on this milestone."

World Premiere "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

November 28, 2012

The long-awaited world premiere of the adventurous film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" by Sir Peter Jackson took place in Wellington, New Zealand on November 28, 2012. The famous saga "The Lord of the rings" was shot here as well. "The Hobbit" is a prequel to this trilogy. Over 100,000 people gathered on 600 meters of red carpet. There was the film's director and co-screenwriter and protagonists there. That's why some fans arrived early in the morning to choose the best place in order to get autographs and photos of famous stars. The release date of the film is December 14, 2012 (USA).

LOS ANGELES -- Hobbits, Dwarves and Wizards will take flight as Air New Zealand launches its latest onboard safety video, "An Unexpected Briefing" today.

The safety video is inspired by the upcoming fantasy adventure The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), which is the first in a trilogy of films from director and Kiwi Sir Peter Jackson. The video has been created in conjunction with the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings films) and features appearances from Jackson, as well as the unforgettable character, Gollum, and descendants of J.R.R Tolkien, author of the timeless masterpiece The Hobbit on which the trilogy is based.

The safety video, which will be rolled out across Air New Zealand aircraft from today, can be viewed at www.youtube.com/airnewzealand Air New Zealand General Manager Marketing and Communications Mike Tod says "An Unexpected Briefing" is a further reflection of the world class creative talents of New Zealanders.

"This latest safety video inspired by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is another example of how New Zealand is a hotbed for creative talent. Our partners at Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, which brought Gollum to life inside the aircraft, have helped us demonstrate again that if you want to engage with audiences in a unique way, our nation has immense creative capability," Mr Tod says.

"Sir Peter Jackson and the team at Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States were fantastically supportive during production of the video. To have Gollum step off the movie screen for the first time and into an Air New Zealand aircraft is incredibly special and Sir Peter Jackson delivers a superb cameo. He should come out from behind the camera more often!"

Two great grandsons of The Hobbit author J.R.R Tolkien, Mike and Royd Tolkien, also make a cameo appearance in the safety video. Royd Tolkien, who features in the video with prosthetic hairy Hobbit feet, says the opportunity to be part of Air New Zealand's association with The Hobbit movies was too good to miss. "They've done a great job of capturing the essence of The Hobbit films and it was a privilege to be invited to participate."