Tolkin’s son condemns Peter Jackson’s film adaptations

It should be remembered that relations between New Line Studios and Tolkien’s heirs deteriorated after the release of the trilogy. Christopher Tolkien, who serves as the CEO of the Tolkien Estate, holds the rights to his father’s works. Since 2003, a legal dispute regarding royalties has been ongoing. The producers argued that the films were not profitable, therefore the Tolkien Estate was not entitled to any percentage of the profits. It was only in 2009 that an agreement was reached—the producers of the trilogy paid the author’s heirs 7.5% of the total box office earnings. Thanks to the release of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, sales of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books increased significantly. “Between 2001 and 2003, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ sold 25 million copies,” said David Bron, representative of HarperCollins responsible for the professor’s books (except in the United States). “Of these, 15 million were in English and 10 million in foreign languages.” Nevertheless, the Tolkien Estate has no control over the content of the films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. Christopher Tolkien opposed the upcoming adaptation of “The Hobbit,” which led to repeated delays in its production. Now it is clear why the author’s son refused to meet with Peter Jackson. “The book has been stripped of its original essence and turned into a action film suitable for teenagers aged 15 to 25,” Tolkien said about “The Lord of the Rings.” “It seems ‘The Hobbit’ will be the same.” “Tolkien has become a monster devoured by his own popularity,” lamented Christopher. “The absurdity of our times is engulfing him. There is an enormous gap between the beauty and seriousness of his works and what they have been reduced to. Commercialization has completely undermined the artistic and philosophical value of his creations. My only option is to turn away and refuse to watch.”