London - A wrangle over the film rights to The Hobbit could wreck plans for a prequel to the blockbusting Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is desperate to complete his cinematic masterpiece with one final film, based on J R R Tolkien's first book.
But legalities over the film and distribution rights are threatening to derail the project, worth a fortune at the box office.
New Line Cinema, the film company that made the Lord of the Rings trilogy with Jackson at the helm, owns the movie rights to The Hobbit.
| 'I would love to see Jackson make a film of The Hobbit' |
But the distribution rights governing the release of the film belong to United Artists, although New Line has first refusal on producing it.
Ian McKellen, who plays wizard Gandalf in the trilogy, has revealed that Jackson is trying to obtain the film rights.
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The New Zealand-born director had been undecided about making a film of The Hobbit, but has now confirmed he plans to do so.
Tolkien's great-grandson, Royd Tolkien, said: "I would love to see Jackson make a film of The Hobbit. It would be the perfect ending."
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has generated more than $220-million at US box offices since its December 17 opening.
After becoming the second-fastest film to cross the $200-million (R1,3-billion) mark - behind only Spider-Man - it could exceed the $340-million racked up by its 2002 predecessor, The Two Towers. - Mail on Sunday
- This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on January 05, 2004
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