United Artists: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
No edit summary
 
(The company doesn't exist anymore, and I thought I had to add this information.Not with any bad intention generally.)
 
(13 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''United Artists''' (an MGM company) purchased the rights to [[The Lord of the Rings]] and [[The Hobbit]] from [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] for an estimated $10,000. Tolkien is said to have parted with the rights so he could pay off a tax bill. United Artists then sold most of the film rights to [[Saul Zaentz]]. The company then distributed [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]] to theaters. The company had originally planned to produce [[John Boorman's The Lord of the Rings]]. United Artists still holds the distribution.
[[Image:United_Artists_logo.png|thumb|175px|right|Last logo of United Artists]]
'''United Artists''' was an American film studio and subsidiary of [[MGM]].


In [[1969]] UA purchased the film rights to ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]'' from [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] for just over £100 000.<ref name="Times1">"[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article802113.ece Focus: Tolkien sold film rights to Lord of the Rings to avoid taxman]". ''The Times'' 15 December 2002</ref> It is often repeated that Tolkien sold the rights for a 'pittance' in order to pay a tax bill,<ref name="Times1" /><ref>"[http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-812509-details/Tolkien+sold+film+rights+for+%A310,000/article.do  Tolkien sold film rights for £10,000]". ''This is London'' 7 December 2001.</ref> in fact the sum he was paid was approximately equivalent to £2.3 million in 2009 and in addition to it he retained a 7.5% royalty interest in any future adaptation (transmitted to the [[Tolkien Estate]] on his death).<ref>[http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/ Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds]. Retrieved 2010-08-14.</ref><ref>"[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1578442/JRR-Tolkien%27s-estate-to-sue-Lord-of-the-Rings-filmmakers-New-Line-Cinema-over-profits.html JRR Tolkien's estate to sue Lord of the Rings filmmakers New Line Cinema over profits]". ''The Telegraph'' 17 February 2008.</ref>
United Artists commissioned [[John Boorman]] to write a screenplay of ''The Lord of the Rings'' in [[1970]], but it was never produced.<ref>Janet Croft. [http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/C/Janet.B.Croft-1/three_rings_for_hollywood.htm Three Rings for Hollywood: Scripts for The Lord of the Rings by Zimmerman, Boorman, and Beagle]. Retrieved 2010-08-14.</ref> In [[1976]] they sold most of their rights to Tolkien's work to [[Saul Zaentz|Saul Zaentz Company]], who have licensed all subsequent authorized adaptations of ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' through [[Middle-earth Enterprises]]. However, United Artists retained the world distribution rights to film adaptations, until it was purchased by MGM. These are currently exercised by their parent company MGM, which  under contract  co-financend the [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' film trilogy]].
On [[2 March]] [[2023]], United Artists was shut down and it was folded into MGM, possibly due to a string of recent box office bombs.<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/creed-iii-box-office-opening-1235340591/|articlename=Box Office: Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Creed III’ Wins Title With Historic $58.6M Opening|dated=4 March 2023 |website=[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ Hollywood Reporter]|accessed=29 April 2023}}</ref>
{{references}}
==External links==
==External links==
*{{WP|United Artists}}
* [http://www.unitedartists.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.unitedartists.com/ Official website]


[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Businesses]]
[[Category:American businesses]]

Latest revision as of 09:22, 29 April 2023

Last logo of United Artists

United Artists was an American film studio and subsidiary of MGM.

In 1969 UA purchased the film rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit from J.R.R. Tolkien for just over £100 000.[1] It is often repeated that Tolkien sold the rights for a 'pittance' in order to pay a tax bill,[1][2] in fact the sum he was paid was approximately equivalent to £2.3 million in 2009 and in addition to it he retained a 7.5% royalty interest in any future adaptation (transmitted to the Tolkien Estate on his death).[3][4]

United Artists commissioned John Boorman to write a screenplay of The Lord of the Rings in 1970, but it was never produced.[5] In 1976 they sold most of their rights to Tolkien's work to Saul Zaentz Company, who have licensed all subsequent authorized adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings through Middle-earth Enterprises. However, United Artists retained the world distribution rights to film adaptations, until it was purchased by MGM. These are currently exercised by their parent company MGM, which under contract co-financend the The Hobbit film trilogy.

On 2 March 2023, United Artists was shut down and it was folded into MGM, possibly due to a string of recent box office bombs.[6]

References

External links[edit | edit source]