Zaentz countersues the Estate

[PrinceOfTheHalflings]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I feel like a broken record, but that sort of thing is exactly what I feared when all the movie-hype began flaring up prior to PJ's films. I never wanted Tolkien's works to be subjected to such indignities; modern marketing treats all artistic works equally as tools for profit. I don't particularly blame Zaentz, since I am certain whatever corporation with the movie rights would act much the same. It really is a shame though to see beloved books treasured less for intrinsic literary merit than for commercial potential.

Zaentz has owned the movie rights since c. 1976 - and certainly sued various people long before PJ's films were a twinkle in PJ's eye.