Comments on: Christopher Tolkien to New Line, “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”

by: Kindless

Thu, 29 May 2008 22:42:15 +0000

Hobbit and sequels? What sequels?

Also to Rafa: The Tolkien family will not pat you on the back for brown-nosing, so shut up now?

by: D2k

Thu, 29 May 2008 17:42:23 +0000

@Taellosse the term luddite was coined in the early 1800s

by: Rafa

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:34:50 +0000

‘From what I’ve heard, Christopher’s claim is really a last ditch effort that doesn’t hold much water.’

That’s Mr. Tolkien to you, and you’ve heard wrong. The movie rights for ‘The Hobbit’ are much murkier than those for the Lord of the Rings… and there is a small chance the Tolkien Estate could win them back.

‘Christopher is a curmudgeon who likely hates living in his father’s shadow, yet knows he can’t really create anything half as good and so clings viciously to his father’s work.’

No offense to Jami or this blog, but shut your hole. Try doing some research before shooting your mouth off about a man you know nothing about.

by: Kunoichi

Thu, 29 May 2008 10:36:27 +0000

While the movies use a lot of tech - most of the best effects are low-tech. I’m not sure Tolkien would have been against the movies near as much as Christopher is. After all, he *did* give Christopher Lee his blessing to play Gandalf if a movie was ever made. Given how passionate Christopher Lee is about LotR, I somehow doubt he would participate in a movie that he believed would violate Tolkien’s wishes. Also, given that he wrote LotR to be a new tale of the world (like Gilgamesh and Roland and the like), and wanted very much for it to be a familiar text to all, I think he might have recognized that current society just isn’t much for reading until they get inspired to by movies and the like.

Christopher is a curmudgeon who likely hates living in his father’s shadow, yet knows he can’t really create anything half as good and so clings viciously to his father’s work.

by: Taellosse

Wed, 28 May 2008 18:40:39 +0000

Given when the original movie rights deal was signed, it’s really unlikely Christopher has any say in the movies being made at all–most film rights based on book properties in the 60s were like that–the seller generally retained zero creative control, so long as they were paid, and depending on how the wording was handled, maybe not even then.

But from all I know of him, which admittedly isn’t much, Christopher Tolkien is basically a jerk, which is probably why he’s being quite this pissy. I agree, he ought to get paid his due, but this goes beyond that.

Of course, if JRR had retained the rights and were still alive today, it is doubtful he’d ever sell them at all–he did it then for the cash, not because he would want his stories made into movies. From what I know of him, he was basically a luddite before the term was coined–he wouldn’t approve too much of the movies, no matter how well done they are, because they support a high-tech lifestyle he advocated against.

by: Leto

Wed, 28 May 2008 18:17:16 +0000

From what I’ve heard, Christopher’s claim is really a last ditch effort that doesn’t hold much water. The Hobbit is still going to be made unless the judge disregards all the huge legal and financial rammifications. New Line may have to pay up, but I don’t think the kill order for Hobbit will go through.

by: greg

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:26:14 +0000

Idunno what he’s going to do with it, but I should look into his having 20-something female relatives who might be in line for the inheritance!