Rule of the Rings — why film-makers can’t resist Tolkien’s fantasy world

As the new Amazon Prime show hits the screens today, we ponder Middle Earth's fannish devotion. From radio productions to the silver screen, J. R. R. Tolkein's hit trilogy has been at various stages of media development since the first volume's publication in 1955 and has had big names, including Peter Jackson, battling over it. Stephen Bush examines the almost magical allure and multimillion-dollar legal disputes surrounding The Lord of the Rings.