Embracer just bought Middle-earth Enterprises (rights to everything, not just games)

[mindx2]

So what exactly are the implications here? Could they for example authorize "official' new Middle earth novels and short story anthologies by contemporary authors? It's something that some people were lamenting the impossibility of before.

Good God, I hope NOT!!!

 

[ADL]

So what exactly are the implications here? Could they for example authorize "official' new Middle earth novels and short story anthologies by contemporary authors? It's something that some people were lamenting the impossibility of before.

Assuming there's no one within the estate that gives a shit anymore, probably.
The implications for video games are good. Over the last year or two it seems like they've been licensing it out like Warhammer to anyone with a decent pitch. For movies however...

 

[Don Salieri]

Why people want to keep touching a closed setting with a dead author?

I know this might be hard to comprehend for a mutt but these kikes hate Tolkien, hate Christians, hate Europe and hate England. Being one of the most widely known and liked fantasy stories with strong ethnological ties to the Old World that remains unshitted by the Christkillers this is something they have been longing to defile and destroy. They couldn't until Christopher Tolkien died but now that the estate was inherited by some disgusting mongrel with no ties to the land or its history it's open season. Enjoy the gay nigger hobbits because even if you don't care for Tolkien to begin with they're going to be crammed down your throat for a while now until everything about the series is tainted.

 

[mediocrepoet]

So what exactly are the implications here? Could they for example authorize "official' new Middle earth novels and short story anthologies by contemporary authors? It's something that some people were lamenting the impossibility of before.

Oh man. The Noldor Trilogy by RA Salvatore!

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

OH MAN WE'RE NEVER GETTING BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH ARE WE

 

[Don Salieri]

OH MAN WE'RE NEVER GETTING BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH ARE WE

The last thing those rotten kikes want is for you to get your hands on a good strategy game ever again. If you do get something it's going to be C&C4 fantasy edition with extra niggers and fags.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Like Star Wars ended with the third movie, Lord of the Rings ended with the third book by the original author.

I don't acknowledge and don't care about anything that is made after, whatever there are movies, games or new novels.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

The career of the film producer Saul Zaentz, who has died aged 92, was marked not only by his independence (his productions were often largely self-funded) but also by his dedication to each individual film. Unlike most producers, who have numerous projects on the go, Zaentz worked on just one at a time. This resulted in a relatively short CV but one with a high share of Oscars, including three best picture winners: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Amadeus (1984) and The English Patient (1996).

Zaentz was born in Passaic, New Jersey, the youngest of five children of Russian-Polish Jewish parents, Morris and Goldie.
...
He enlisted in the army in the second world war, serving as a sergeant-major on an army transport moving troops to the Mediterranean, north Atlantic and south and central Pacific.
...
He found a job with record distributors, and later went to New York to work with Norman Granz, a jazz record producer and concert promoter.
...
Zaentz later headed a group of investors who bought out the Weiss brothers, established a subsidiary, Galaxy Records, and acquired Debut Records, which had been founded by Charles Mingus and Mingus's then wife, Celia. Zaentz married Celia in 1960. Fantasy's major breakthrough came with recording the then unknown rock group the Golliwogs, who achieved success under their new name Creedence Clearwater Revival.
...
Zaentz then became involved with film...Having been an avid reader since childhood, it was perhaps inevitable that Zaentz would produce films based on novels. This began when he joined forces with Michael Douglas to produce the Miloš Forman-directed adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
...
Zaentz then acquired certain rights to JRR Tolkien's epic novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, for which he set up Middle-Earth Enterprises. The company produced an animated feature of The Lord of the Rings in 1978, and produced and licensed other screen and stage productions, leading to the films directed by Peter Jackson, as well as merchandise based on the Tolkien novels.
...
- Saul Zaentz obituary, The Guardian, 2014

 

[octavius]

they own MEE.

how much did they pay to own you?

I'm priceless.

Did you get hence with a measureless booty?

 

[Alex]

Going to send an email to Lars asking him to reinstate ICE's MERP license with a detailed essay on why it's some of the greatest non-Tolkien middle earth content ever created.

Don't forget to post it here as well!

 

[toughasnails]

Why people want to keep touching a closed setting with a dead author?

Well, you won't like this answer, but I think that Tolkien's whole thing is to blame for that. After all he's the one who started the trend of elaborate fantasy worldbuilding where you have the framework of fictional world with its history and "ruleset' that can then be potentially infinitely iterated upon. Without that, you wouldn't have the trend of unending fictional universes and franchises instead of closed stories.

 

[Curratum]

My only takeaway from this is that now those lazy Hungarian fucks at Zen Studios can make a Hobbit and a LotR pinball machine without any legal issues and super-expensive licensing.

 

[CruduxCruo]

Lord of the Rings ended with the third book by the original author.

But that's only halfway through the novel

 

[Spukrian]

Does this mean that we could have the Nemesis system in games that aren't Middle-Earth/Lotr based or is it still owned by some other company? Probably just me getting my hopes up for nothing...

 

[Morgoth]

Are they also getting royalties from the upcoming Amazon Rings of Power show, or is that a completely different contractual deal?

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Lord of the Rings ended with the third book by the original author.

But that's only halfway through the novel

Ok, you got me here.

 

[ADL]

Does this mean that we could have the Nemesis system in games that aren't Middle-Earth/Lotr based or is it still owned by some other company? Probably just me getting my hopes up for nothing...

Doubt it. That's a Monolith/WB-owned patent that will be used in their Wonder Woman game.

Are they also getting royalties from the upcoming Amazon Rings of Power show, or is that a completely different contractual deal?

I was under the impression Amazon paid upfront for five seasons but if Rings of Power's first season is successful they intend to do spinoffs which would require a new deal.

 

[Lim-Dûl]

How likely is it that MeCCG cards will be reprinted?

 

[S.torch]

Why people want to keep touching a closed setting with a dead author?

Because we live in the last stages of a dying culture which "mainstream" has become totally infertile of creative energy.

Besides, the author is not dead, his work is undying and together with it he lives forever, he is still alive, he is still a topic of conversation. And therefore trying to scratch of him is logical if you have followed the behaviour of these corporations during the last years. Uselessly, because the work is its author and nothing else, and it will only preserve its shine as long as it sticks to what he did. That's why the real way to preserve a work is restoring it, never changing it.

Nobody in their right mind would think that someone can come to "improve" or "change" the work of Da Vinci or Michelangelo. This is exactly the same. Is why the only way to pay tribute to a classic is to try to maintain as much as possible its original meaning. It is clear that even this is far beyond our current civilisation.

 

[lightbane]

Nobody in their right mind would think that someone can come to "improve" or "change" the work of Da Vinci or Michelangelo.

Tell that to the wokes. The last years they discovered Lovecraft's works and thus a bunch of horrible shows that butcher his stories showed up (regardless of their quality or lack of thereof). I suppose it's Tolkien's turn now.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Does this mean that we could have the Nemesis system in games that aren't Middle-Earth/Lotr based or is it still owned by some other company? Probably just me getting my hopes up for nothing...

We already can, game mechanic patents are bunk. Just a question of whether you want to go to court for it.
The Greek assassin's Creed had a similar nemesis system btw.

not surprised the patent exists, wouldn't expect it to hold up.

if you're curious about what patent lawyers have to say, here's an article about it:
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ba135c6b-a845-4233-a23b-4439d00b9dda
tl;dr: They most likely skirted around the Alice test due to the original date of patent application

patenting abstract ideas is attempting to use the patent system as an ad hoc copyright system

 

[ADL]

Exit talks have begun between Middle-earth Enterprises (MEE) and Warner Brothers for the movie/ film rights for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ franchises. MEE have requested for WB to let go of the rights and exit their deal by the end of 2023 so they can begin the search and sale for new rights holders for the LOTR franchise. However, the notice was only just sent in and initial contacts made and this negotiation could take the whole year. The company ‘ACF’ is handling the exit talks with WB on the behalf of the Embracer Group who acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of The Saul Zaentz Company earlier last year.

The full press release reads: EXCLUSIVE: FellowshipofFans sources understand that Warner Bros. has been requested by Middle-earth Enterprises to amicably exit ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ franchises by the end of 2023, to pave the way for a new rights holder.

These talks have only just begun.

Whether WB agree to this or not is yet to be confirmed and talks could take some time but currently these talks have no bearing over ‘The War of the Rohirrim’.

To make sense of this news and put it in context- what does this all mean? If Warner Brothers do accept the exit talks and let go of the rights, then MEE (Embracer Group) will look for a new rights holder and it is understood that whoever would be able to purchase these rights will need to have “deep pockets”. Major studios that would have the financial package and possibility of acquiring these rights are: Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple, Paramount etc.

There is still a chance that once this current agreement with Warner Brothers ends MEE could renegotiate with the former company and the rights could return to Warner Brothers- but according to insiders this is quite unlikely due to the financial problems currently surrounding the studio.

Embracer Group just sold their ‘Tomb Raider’ rights to Amazon for a deal that we can exclusively reveal as being approximately a 600 Million overall package making it Amazon’s second biggest purchase after purchasing the television rights for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’. Therefore, this puts into perspective the cost and prices that Embracer maybe looking for.

Warner Brothers still have their animated film ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ scheduled for release sometime in 2024 and at this current stage it doesn’t look like the film has been effected by the recent negotiations and exit talks.

The notice was handed to Warner Brothers very recently and their response or strategy around the exit talks and how they will approach it is currently unknown.

If the exit talks are successful and Embracer Group on the behalf of MEE retain the rights, then the beginning of 2024 could be the dawn of a new era of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ franchises on the big screen.

https://fellowshipoffans.com/news/w...of-the-rings-the-hobbit-franchises-exclusive/

 

[S.torch]

>Buy rights
>Just to sell them again

Dios mío... modern "economy" is so fake that is unreal. Also: "dawn of a new era" yeah, right. Take off already. Every time a moron decides that is moment to make an "adaptation" of Tolkien's work is WORSE than the previous one, while the previous one being BAD enough already. Just take your retarded money for a thing you didn't even create and don't bother the rest of the planet with the abomination that these disgusting and incompetent people call "adaptations".

They will need "deep pockets" because all the money they're going to lose too.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

>Buy rights
>Just to sell them again

Dios mío... modern "economy" is so fake that is unreal. Also: "dawn of a new era" yeah, right. Take off already. Every time a moron decides that is moment to make an "adaptation" of Tolkien's work is WORSE than the previous one, while the previous one being BAD enough already. Just take your retarded money for a thing you didn't even create and don't bother the rest of the planet with the abomination that these disgusting and incompetent people call "adaptations".

They will need "deep pockets" because all the money they're going to lose too.

They never wanted the movie rights for their own use, what could a company like Embracer do with them?

The main contention of the many, many lawsuits was that WB was never explicitly given the rights to make the video games they made, which goes back to my original post:

3. They've just inherited a massive headache of lawsuits, I don't envy them.

They obviously want the exclusive rights to make the video games & merchandising.

 

[S.torch]

They never wanted the movie rights for their own use, what could a company like Embracer do with them?

That they're not going to just sell all of the rights is a big if, since with corporations you really never now and the fact they already sold all rights to Tomb Raider. Not that is make much of a difference at this point. After the massive fiasco of the last series-disaster, limited rights may not be seen very attractive to other megacorporations. The previous owner of them knew this, that's why just when the fiasco was taking place, they sold everything further, took their shekels and ran away.

Like I said, doesn't matter, they're not that different between themselves. Is just funny that they paid for it, are (allegedly) planning to sell a part of that again, and nothing of value was made in the process.