Tolkien Movie Maker Sees No Rivalry With Potter
Staff Reporter

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Lord of the Rings movie maker Peter Jackson on Wednesday dismissed talk that the first movie of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy trilogy is in head-to-head competition with the first Harry Potter movie.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" had its debut to rave reviews in London on Sunday while the first Lord of the Rings movie in New Zealander Jackson's $300 million series -- "The Fellowship of the Ring" -- premieres in London on December 10.

Newspapers have cast the two fantasy movies as rivals in a battle of the box office but Jackson declared himself a fan of Potter. "I'm a huge fan of the books so I'm looking forward to it," Jackson told reporters.

"Everybody paints this sort of competition between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings -- it's sort of crazy because I just wish Harry Potter all the best and I'm sure it'll be great."

AOL Time Warner will be a winner both ways -- its New Line Cinema studio is producing the Lord of the Rings series while another of its units, Warner Brothers, is making the Harry Potter series.

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