Serving animals in HOBBIT film

[Sauron the White]

However, whether Tolkien sold the film rights eagerly, or only when forced by circumstances, is entirely relevant to the question as to whether, given his druthers, he wanted to see film adaptations made.

He eagerly cashed the check and spent the money knowing full well what he was doing of his own free will and with a sound mind. He said he would go for art or cash and he selected cash. He knew that the deal he entered into gave away the film rights to both THE HOBBIT and LOTR in perpetuity and allowing him no involvement or say of any kind. His sale of the film rights, under the terms he entered into freely, gave the holders, and in turn Peter Jackson, the right to make any changes he saw fit with the full authorization and approval of JRRT.

Given the tremendous increase in the sales of LOTR over the past six years, I am reasonably confident that - had the Professor been alive now - he would have a very broad smile upon his face every time he cashed a royalty check for book sales that were many times what he had been used to. The movies would have put a smile on his face, a skip in his step and a song in his heart. The movies would have given him millions of reasons to celebrate their success.