Conversation so far:
who owns the lord of the rings franchise?
The Tolkien Estate is the legal body which manages the property of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien, including the copyright for most of his works.
What is the net worth of the Tolkien Estate?
Forbes has the Tolkien estate values at $500 million dollars.
Who controls the Tolkien Estate?
Its directors include Tolkien family members Baillie Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, Priscilla Tolkien, Simon Tolkien and Michael George Tolkien, as well as the Tolkien Estate attorney, Steven Andrew Maier.

Question: how much were the film rights sold for?
Self-contained rewrite: How much were the film rights to the Lord of the Rings franchise sold for?