J.R.R. Tolkien sold the movie rights while he was still alive. His estate does not control them and has generally shied away from any involvement in movie projects. The Tolkien Estate is said to be quietly backing the current movie project but is not directly involved with it.

In a letter Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher in September 1957, he said he had been approached by several people to make a movie based on The Lord of the Rings. " Stanley U(nwin) and I have agreed on our policy: Art or Cash," he said. Within a year a synopsis written by Morton Grady Zimmerman was sent to Tolkien for commentary. The movie was apparently going to be done as animation at this time. Tolkien's criticism of the synopsis was harsh and to the point: "I should say Zimmerman...is quite incapable of excerpting or adapting the 'spoken words' of the book. He is hasty, insensitive, and impertinent."

A couple of months later Tolkien wrote to Forrest J. Ackerman, who had initiated the project, and his words have long been remembered by fans through the years: "...I would ask them to make an effort of imagination sufficient tounderstand the irritation (and on occasion the resentment) of an author, who finds, increasingly as he proceeds, his work treated as it would seem carelessly in general, in places recklessly, and with no evident signs of any appreciation of what it is all about...."

This initial movie project fell through and in time Tolkien opted for the Cash rather than the Art. Saul Zaentz eventually acquired the rights and in the late 1970s his company worked with Ralph Bakshi to produce a movie called "The Lord of the Rings". The movie was experimental and failed at the box office. It also only got halfway through the story. A planned sequel was never developed.

Rankin/Bass produced two television specials in the late 1970s based on The Hobbit and The Return of the King.

Saul Zaentz still owns the movie rights. Zaentz also owns Tolkien Enterprises, a subsidiary of The Saul Zaentz Company which has licensed a number of Lord of the Rings-related products that really have no connection with The Tolkien Estate.

Around 1996, rumors began circulating that the Disney Company was involved in a LOTR-based movie project. They did not make any formal announcements concerning such a project. When I contacted the company, their spokesperson had no information available on such a project.

Starting in late 1996, rumors circulated for months that Peter Jackson, director of "The Frighteners" would be directing the rumored LOTR movies. Jackson, on a now-defunct Web-based message board Q & A With Peter J (which he had agreed to support), did not indicate he knew anything about a LOTR movie and had suggested we'd all eventually find out who is going to do one. In January 1998 he posted an official statement. For those who are curious about the forum, it has been replaced by The Bastards Have Landed, but I don't know if Jackson is supporting the board.

Later in 1998 it was announced that Miramax Pictures (a Disney subsidiary) would underwrite a two-movie project based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS with Jackson directing/producing. However, some difficulties arose (rumored to be due to Tolkien's statement that he did not want Disney involved in any movie projects) and Miramax backed out of the deal. New Line Cinema then stepped in and authorized three movies.