[General Woundwort]

Originally posted by gregebowman:
Aren't Luddites anti-technology? I bet if they were given a butt load of money off of the profits of the movie, they might change their mind. Either that, or maybe they didn't like his interpretation of the trilogy? I hope he does get the rights. That would be an awesome movie, and if kept in the same tone as it was written, it would be more child-friendly.

PJ has never been known for child-friendly movies, but as his kids get older he may mellow out a bit.

Anyways, here's an IGN news item that clears things up re: the Tolkien estate's attitude...

New Line Pursues Hobbit Rights
The fate of the franchise may lie with the Tolkien estate.

December 02, 2003 - Keen to build on the success of its three Lord of the Rings films (ROTK is a foregone conclusion), New Line Cinema is now actively pursuing the possibility of a film based on The Hobbit. According to The Australian, however, there is a hang-up: the Tolkien estate. It seems that Tolkien's heirs, who have already riled Peter Jackson by refusing to permit a Rings museum in Wellington, are now a stumbling-block in the way of a Lord of the Rings prequel.

"The difficulty everybody has is the Tolkien estate," Jackson said, referring to recent wrangling between New Line and Christopher Tolkien, the custodian and literary executor of his late father's estate. Jackson's next project is King Kong, which should be finished by 2006. Afterwards, Jackson would like to work with New Line on The Hobbit, provided the legal hassles get worked out.

Right now, a deal doesn't seem likely. The trilogy itself was only possible because J.R.R. Tolkien himself sold those film rights in 1969 for £10,000, a paltry amount by modern standards. His son, Christopher, doesn't believe that The Hobbit or any of his father's other works can be adequately represented on-screen, and has resisted any endorsement of the current Lord of the Rings project.

(full article here - http://filmforce.ign.com/lotr/articl...tml?fromint=1)

[ January 28, 2004, 14:51: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]