J.R.R. Tolkien sold the film rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in 1969. The purchaser was United Artists, which acquired the rights to potential film adaptations along with related merchandising rights.
The sale occurred before the famous live-action film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. Those films were made decades later, with New Line Cinema releasing The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, The Two Towers in 2002, and The Return of the King in 2003.
The rights history can be confusing because several companies became involved in adaptations, distribution, and licensing at different times. United Artists released the animated film The Lord of the Rings in 1978, directed by Ralph Bakshi, while later live-action productions involved New Line Cinema.
Tolkien’s decision was partly financial and reflected his changing relationship with the publishing and film industries. The 1969 transaction did not mean that a completed movie already existed; it transferred adaptation rights that could be developed later.