The books and film contain scary moments

The Fellowship of the Rings, an adaptation of the first book from sci-fi author JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, is due out on 19 December.

It was thought the movie would be given a 12 rating - meaning no-one aged under 12 would have been able to see it - because of its sometimes frightening content.

Harry Potter fans suffered a similar period of uncertainty before that film too was made PG. Though aimed primarily at children, the Harry Potter stories, about a boy wizard, contain dark episodes.

Liv Tyler is one of the stars of the film

In giving the Fellowship of the Rings a PG, the British Board of Film Classification noted the film featured "battle violence and fantasy horror".

At almost three hours, the film is awaited by more than 100 million Tolkien fans worldwide.

The Lord of the Rings tells the story of how the hobbit Frodo seeks to protect a magic and much sought-after ring.

The novel is regularly listed in surveys of the most popular books in Britain.

The first film stars Sir Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood.

It will receive its world premi�re in London on 10 December.