The Lord of the Rings is one of the most famous and beloved film trilogies of all time. The brand has become one of the most important worlds in the media sphere. Although Tolkien sold his rights, he never wanted Disney to get them because he hated the company.
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most important works of classic fantasy, which continues to have a great influence on the portrayal of many fictional works to this day. The first adaptation premiered as an animated film in 1978.
The great cinematic success then came with Peter Jackson’s trilogy. So far, there are a total of 9 films in Tolkien’s universe. It is surprising that Disney has never used the source material. This is also because Tolkien hated Disney.
Tolkien Found Walt Disney hopelessly corrupt
What did Tolkien say about Disney? Tolkien was not a big fan of Walt Disney; in fact, he hated him, as can be read in a letter from 1964 (via tolkiengateway.net). In it, he wrote to a fan:
I acknowledge his talent, but he always seemed hopelessly corrupted to me. Although there are admirable or charming passages in most “films” that come from his studios, they all seem repulsive to me. I felt nauseated by some of them.
Tolkien on Walt Disney
A significant part of his hatred for Disney likely stems from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from 1937.
In J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (via atlasobscura.com), it is described that Tolkien and his colleague C.S. Lewis watched the film and despised the portrayal of the dwarves. Unlike the dwarves in The Lord of the Rings, the dwarves in Snow White were, according to Lewis, puffed-up, drunken, and not funny faces
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Tolkien’s first book, The Hobbit, was published in the same year as Snow White. When it came to selling his rights to produce films, Tolkien also made a clear statement regarding Disney in a letter:
It might be advisable to let Americans do what seems good to them – as long as it is possible to veto anything that comes from the Disney studios or is influenced by them (for all of whose works I feel deep disgust)
Tolkien on the adaptation rights to his works (via tolkiengateway.net)
Currently, the rights to Middle-Earth Enterprises reside with the giant gaming corporation Embracer. Whether this is truly better than Disney remains to be seen. The Embracer Group is considered controversial in the gaming world after acquiring many studios and later closing them: The corporation has overextended itself, must lay off 1,400 employees and who is to blame? The war and COVID
