The Tolkien Trust

The Tolkien Trust
Named afterJ. R. R. Tolkien
Formation1977
TypeCharity
Company 8354834
Registration no.Charity 1150801
Legal statusActive
PurposeTo manage the Tolkien Estate
HeadquartersPrama House
Location
Coordinates51°46′44″N 1°15′57″W / 51.7788°N 1.2657°W / 51.7788; -1.2657
Websitetolkientrust.org

The Tolkien Trust is a British charity founded in 1977[1] that manages the money received from J. R. R. Tolkien's estate (the Tolkien Estate).[2] Specifically, the trust enables its trustees, the members of Tolkien's family, to donate regularly to whichever causes they may choose. The trust states that such charitable causes include the "arts, education, environment, homelessness, international development, international relations and peace building, migration, prison reform, and UK and international health and medical research".[3]

In February 2008, together with Tolkien's publisher HarperCollins, the trust filed a suit against New Line Cinema over the profits of The Lord of the Rings film series.[2] The following year in September, a settlement between the Trust and New Line was made, clearing a potential obstacle to the making of a new film series based on The Hobbit.[4]

  1. ^ "The Tolkien Trust - Extract from the Central Register of Charities maintained by the Charity Commission for England and Wales". Charity Commission. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Tolkien heirs sue Lord of the Rings studio for $150m". The Guardian. 12 February 2008. the Tolkien Trust ... manages the writer's estate
  3. ^ "About The Tolkien Trust". The Tolkien Trust. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. ^ Dobuzinskis, Alex (8 September 2009). "Legal settlement clears way for "Hobbit" movie". Reuters. Retrieved 8 September 2009. The Hollywood studio behind a film based on The Hobbit and trustees for author J.R.R. Tolkien's estate said on Tuesday they had settled a lawsuit that clears the way for what is expected to be a blockbuster movie based on the book.