[JohnnyZ]

If anything, I would have thought Tolkein's estate would have final say over things like this, as they are fierce about protecting J.R.R.'s work,

They sold the rights to the movies. I don't think they retained any say in how they were done. Christopher Tolkien, as I'm sure you know, thought Peter Jackson's LOTR was a travesty.

[HairOfTheDog]

Christopher Tolkien, as I'm sure you know, thought Peter Jackson's LOTR was a travesty.

Last I heard, he claimed to have not even seen them. He thought the ~idea~ of films was a travesty.