40 years ago, J.R.R Tolkien sold the right's to his "Lord of the Rings" novels for 7.5 per cent of the future take the movies would make. Three films and over six billion dollars later, the heirs of Tolkien’s estate haven't seen a cent.
The lawsuit, now filed by the heirs against Time Warner, will be seen in the courts come October and may threaten the two "Hobbit" films into non-existence.
''Usually it's not outright thievery by the studios, but death by contract,'' said Pierce O'Donnell, the Los Angeles-based lawyer who represented the late columnist Art Buchwald in a successful case against Viacom's Paramount Pictures in 1988. ''It's an esoteric world where black doesn't mean black, and white doesn't necessarily mean white.''
Tolkien's family and the charity "The Tolkien Trust", seek over $220 million in compensation. They also wish to have the option to terminate further rights to the author's work, as the original contract lets them in the event of a breach.
Not a good sign for the fans.