Tolkien - The Biopic

[Mithalwen]

But can they? They can refuse to cooperate refuse access to copyright and unpublished works but I doubt they can stop something from being concocted from stuff in the public domain and you can't libel the dead.

No doubt I am cynical but having seen article and interviews regarding the new film abou PL travers and Disney showing how beastly Travers was to quibble with the film makers treatment of her work in which she had retained rights. And the interviewer asking if Mary Poppins had been popular pre film...it had been hugely successful.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

But can they? They can refuse to cooperate refuse access to copyright and unpublished works but I doubt they can stop something from being concocted from stuff in the public domain and you can't libel the dead.

I don't know what grounds they might use to obstruct it, but even the effort might set the project back for a while. As for any potential libel, in Letters Tolkien asks why he "must be made an object of fiction while still alive." I wouldn't construe that to mean he was all right with it after his demise.

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

No doubt I am cynical but having seen article and interviews regarding the new film abou PL travers and Disney showing how beastly Travers was to quibble with the film makers treatment of her work in which she had retained rights. And the interviewer asking if Mary Poppins had been popular pre film...it had been hugely successful.

I'm not all that hopeful myself about the faithfulness of the film to reality, but I guess time will tell.