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 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King wins 11 Oscars at the 76th Academy Awards. EA releases Battle for Middle-earth, a real time strategy game under a joint license with New Line Cinema and Tolkien Enterprises, in December. 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 EA releases the Battle for Middle-earth II videogame. The Lord of the Rings the Musical, a stage play premieres in Toronto, Canada. A Kevin Wallace Ltd. production under license from Tolkien Enterprises. 2007 Turbine, Inc. releases an MMO videogame based on the literary property only, The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Turbine is purchased by WB Games in 2010. LOTRO is purchased by Standing Stone Games in 2016. The Lord of the Rings the musical stage play premieres in the West End, London under license from Tolkien Enterprises. 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 The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is released by New Line Cinema a division of Warner Bros., in December. LEGO: The Lord of the Rings videogame is released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) developed by Traveler’s Tales (TT Games). 2014 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is released by New Line Cinema a division of Warner Bros., in December. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor videogame is released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) developed by Monolith Studios under joint license from New Line Cinema and Middle-earth Enterprises. LEGO: The Hobbit videogame is released by WBIE. Developed by TT Games. 2017 Middle-earth: Shadow of War videogame is released by WBIE developed by Monolith Studios under joint license from New Line Cinema and Middle-earth Enterprises. Amazon Originals options The Lord of the Rings multi-season, episodic Television Series rights from the Tolkien Estate 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 Warner Bros. commences production on an animated film The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. Amazon TV series The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power premieres in September. Middle-Earth Enterprises purchased by Swedish videogame and media holding company, Embracer Group AB, based in Karlstad, in October. 2023 EA releases a mobile game based on the books, The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth, in May. Nacon releases Daedalic Entertainment’s The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, in May. Wizards of the Coast release Magic the Gathering x The Lord of the Rings in June; Wizard’s most successful release of its Magic the Gathering Card Game to date. The Lord of the Rings A Musical Tale premieres at the Watermill Theatre, Berkshire, UK, in July, winning 8 Broadway World/West End Awards and shared Theatre of the Year Award with The National Theatre, in recognition of the Watermill Theatre’s “ambitious comeback—namely a musical version of The Lord of the Rings, awarded in February 2024. Free Range Games’ The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria released in October, by North Beach Games. 2024 Telltale Games’ Private Division releases Weta Interactive’s first cosy videogame, Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game in August. Warner Bros. anime production The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim releases in December. |