Middle-earth Timeline
The Embracer Group’s Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC, owns exclusive worldwide rights to motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books. In 1969, United Artists acquired the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit from the author, Professor J.R.R. Tolkien. The Saul Zaentz Company acquired the rights from United Artists in 1976 and The Embracer Group acquired Middle-earth Enterprises in October 2022.
1937 J.R.R. Tolkien publishes The Hobbit 1954 J.R.R. Tolkien publishes The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers 1955 J.R.R. Tolkien publishes The Return of the King 1969 United Artists acquires the film, television, stage, and merchandising rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings from author J.R.R. Tolkien, who retains book publishing rights. 1973 Professor Tolkien dies 2 September 1976 The Saul Zaentz Production Company acquires the rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books from United Artists. 1977 The Saul Zaentz Production Company forms Tolkien Enterprises, renamed Middle-earth Enterprises in 2010. 1978 United Artists releases the animated film The Lord of the Rings, directed by Ralph Bakshi, produced by Saul Zaentz, in November. 1997 The Saul Zaentz Company options The Lord of the Rings film rights to Miramax Films. 1998 New Line Cinema picks up The Lord of the Rings film rights’ option from Miramax Films. 2001 New Line Cinema releases The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring co-produced and directed by Peter Jackson, in December. 2002 New Line Cinema releases The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, in December. 2003 New Line Cinema releases The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, in December. 2004
2005 New Line and its parent company, Warner Brothers, release a flood of merchandise based upon the films, under license from Tolkien Enterprises, which also enters into new license agreements for merchandise based exclusively upon the books, for board games, videogames, jewelry, figurines and other collectibles. 2006
2007
2010 Tolkien Enterprises changes its name to Middle-earth Enterprises. 2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is released by New Line Cinema a division of Warner Bros., in December. 2013
2014
2017
2019 Amazon commences filming The Lord of the Rings TV series in New Zealand. 2021 WB Games & Netease release a mobile game The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, in September. 2022
2023
2024
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