Science Fiction and Fantasy

Xenite.Org Answers Your Questions

Who owns copyright to J.R.R. Tolkien stories?

The Tolkien Estate, which is operated by Tolkien's surviving children Christopher and Priscilla, owns the copyrights for his books. Those copyrights will not begin to expire for several more decades. The Tolkien Estate is separate and distinct from Tolkien Enterprises, which is part of the Saul Zaentz company. Zaenz owns the film and merchandising rights for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and he has trademarked many names from the books to monetize those rights.

The Tolkien Trust is a charitable organization that also has some legal rights and prerogatives associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's copyrights and trademarks. In the mid- to late 2000s the Tolkien Trust participated in legal action against New Line Cinema to claim revenues from the popular Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" movies.

Who owns Lord of the Rings licenses?

Hundreds of companies around the world have held licenses to produce merchandise based on The Lord of the Rings. Most of them operate under license from Tolkien Enterprises.

Who played Callisto on Xena?

Hudson Leick played Callisto on Xena. She also played Xena on Xena when Lucy Lawless was injured in a freak accident while preparing for a stunt on The Tonight Show. We have a Callisto category on Xena Online Resources.

Who played Gabrielle on Xena?

Renee O'Connor played Gabrielle on Xena. We have a Gabrielle category on Xena Online Resources.

Who played Hercules?

Is that a trick question? Steve Reeves is the most famous actor to have played Hercules in the movies. Kevin Sorbo is the most famous actor to have played him on television. You'll have fun browsing an extensive list of actors who played Hercules (or characters named Hercules) at the IMDB. If you're looking for information on Kevin Sorbo, we have a Hercules category at Xena Online Resourcs. But we also host the Australian Kevin Sorbo Fan Club's official Kevin Sorbo Forum at SF-FANDOM.

Who plays Frodo? (Also: Who plays Frodo Baggins?)

Everyone knows that Elijah Wood is Frodo in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. For a more extensive list of Lord of the Rings actors from all major productions, check out Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies at SF Worlds.

Who was Callisto?

In Greek mythology, Callisto was a virgin serving the goddess Artemis. Zeus seduced her and she had a son, Arcas, by him. Hera, jealous as always, turned Callisto into a bear. Many years later she met Arcas in the woods, and he had become a great hunter. When she tried to embrace her son, he shot her with an arrow. Zeus took pity on them and made them into constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In the television shows Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Callisto was a young victim of a raid by Xena's army when she was still a warlord. Callisto grew up consumed with the need for revenge and she became a warlord herself. Xena eventually killed Callisto, but death was only a temporary setback. Callisto eventually became a living being again, and then became immortal, and finally became a goddess after eating ambrosia. She died a final death when slain with a dagger dipped in the blood of a golden Hind.

Who was Fingolfin's horse?

Fingolfin's horse was named Rochallor.

Who was Sauron (greek mythology)

Sauron is a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. So far as we know, he is not found in Greek mythology.

Who was the character Xena inspired by?

Wow, that takes us back. Xena was inspired by the Hong Kong martial arts film genre (which also heavily influenced the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys television show).

Who was the publisher of the book J.R.R. Tolkien?

If you're looking for a book by that title, you'll probably do better to search Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Booksamillion. However, if you want to know who Tolkien's publisher was, that was Stanley Unwin of George Allen & Unwin. The firm is often referred to as Allen & Unwin. Stanley's son Raynor Unwin wrote a review of The Hobbit when he was about 10 years old. His father published the book on the basis of Raynor's review. Allen & Unwin was eventually sold to the conglomerate that is no HaperCollins.

Who wrote the Lord of the Rings music?

Howard Shore wrote the soundrtack for the Peter Jackson movies, but Leonard Rosenman wrote the soundtrack for the 1978 Ralph Bakshi film adaptation. The Rosenman soundtrack was extraordinary.