[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Perhaps, Mattius, we could take that as an indication of how much his father's writings mean to him. Christopher Tolkien is not alone in questioning New Line's motives and concern for the works they adapt; and while I could deplore his allowing this opinion to estrange him from his family, that's really none of my business.

My point would be that it is the right and the privilege of the owners of a work of art to withhold the right to adapt it from anyone, no matter how many fans they may have in their own right. Christopher Tolkien was involved in a minor way in the proof-reading and final printing of The Hobbit (he drew the first maps that were made for the story), and in many ways I'm sure that he sees the work as a personal link with his father. None of us want to see something that has that sort of sentimental value taken and 'adapted' by people whom we suspect of a lack of respect for it; and I'm afraid that for a lot of people that is what has happened to The Lord of the Rings.

Now for my opinion, which everyone will have worked out by now. I've always thought that Tolkien's books would make great films; but I would rather that people had to read the original books (and derive the pleasure I have from so doing) than allow themselves to be fobbed off with crass commercialisations of them, hyped as by the fans, for the fans, but actually written with no real respect for the material and aimed at a standard action film audience. The internal politics of the Tolkien family are none of my business or anyone else's, but I for one am glad that someone who really cares about Tolkien's versions of Tolkien's books has creative control over at least some of them. If that doesn't suit the people who want another rip-roaring action film, then tough. It didn't suit me that the film-makers were free to change as much of the plot of The Lord of the Rings as they liked, but there was nothing I could do about it. It's the same situation here, only in reverse. If the Jackson team had been a little less cavalier with the material over which the author's son had no control, then perhaps he might have let them film other books over which he does have authority. They have only themselves to blame that he now wants nothing to do with them.

[EDIT 9th October 2006] I have since learned that Christopher Tolkien hasn't disowned his son over the films, that the Tolkien estate doesn't control the film rights to The Hobbit and that C.T. hasn't expressed any opinions about the films other than that LotR is unfilmable. I was taken in by careless journalism, and I wasn't the only one.