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From: urban@trwspp.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Film rights to LOTR
Message-ID: <436@trwspp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-May-84 11:22:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: trwspp.436
Posted: Wed May 23 11:22:39 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 26-May-84 12:35:29 EDT
References: <398@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: T R W, Redondo Beach, CA
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Even more emphatically, Ian Ballantine (who should know!) once
mentioned that ANYONE can produce a film version of Lord of the Rings
as long as it is based on "the original edition" which is unprotected
in the USA.  The reason that major studios DON'T do this is that
they wouldn't be able to release the film in any foreign markets.

Also, (and I'm less confident on this one) Bakshi doesn't hold
the movie rights for LotR; United Artists (now UA/MGM) does,
and sort of contracted out to Bakshi to produce the film.
Presumably, MGM could do it over again, properly, if they
wanted to.

	Mike