Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit film and gaming rights up for sale.

[ART!]

Whatever seemingly reasonable number we might come up with for the final sale price, we will be underestimating.

 

[Retreater]

Whatever seemingly reasonable number we might come up with for the final sale price, we will be underestimating.

Edit: That guy even has my name on his tag. LOL

 

[Morrus]

Saul Zaentz Co. have decided to sell their rights to Tolkiens works.

It’s not clear to me what this means for The One Ring RPG or Adventures in Middle Earth.

Different license; pretty sure theirs is from the books.

 

[Christian Hoffer]

Different license; pretty sure theirs is from the books.

So - Middle-Earth Enterprises licenses non-movie LOTR games to Sophisticated Games, which in turn licenses The One Ring to Free League Publishing. If Middle-Earth Enterprises is for sale, then assumably that would affect the non-movie licenses as well.

 

[Jer]

Different license; pretty sure theirs is from the books.

Kind of? It's a different license, but it's a sub-license. Free League has a license from Sophisticated Games, whose website says that they operate under a license from Middle Earth Enterprises, which is a division of the Saul Zaentz Company.

The Sophisticated Games license is only for the books, not the movies. But as far as I've been able to tell Middle Earth Enterprises owns both sets of rights book and film.

 

[Retreater]

This shouldn't even be an issue. All that ancient stuff should be in the public domain.
I blame Sonny Bono.

 

[TerraDave]

Kind of? It's a different license, but it's a sub-license. Free League has a license from Sophisticated Games, whose website says that they operate under a license from Middle Earth Enterprises, which is a division of the Saul Zaentz Company.

The Sophisticated Games license is only for the books, not the movies. But as far as I've been able to tell Middle Earth Enterprises owns both sets of rights book and film.

It was the Saul Zaentz company that forced TSR to remove hobbits from D&D. (Game Wizards pg 123).

So yes, probably game relevant.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Maybe if everyone here on ENWorld clubs together ...? I can chip in $100 or so.

I'll match that!

Who else is in?

 

[GreyLord]

I think this will get into a competition between Disney and Amazon to get those rights. I'd put them as the two biggest boys on the block with a vested interest in obtaining them currently.

There are others that I think would be interested, but I don't think they will be willing to put the money on the table that the two above will be (though I could be surprised).

 

[aco175]

So, I can play a hobbit now. What about a half kender/hobbit?