Estate Of J.R.R. Tolkien Suing Studio Behind ‘Rings’ Trilogy
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The estate of “Lord of the Rings” creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing the film studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company failed to pay a cut of gross profits.
The writer’s estate, a charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and original “Lord of the Rings” publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
It claims New Line was required to pay 7.5 percent of gross receipts from the films to Tolkien’s estate and the other plaintiffs. The lawsuit estimates the films have reaped nearly $6 billion combined.
