Peter Jackson directed the first film

"My own position is that The Lord Of The Rings is peculiarly unsuitable to transformation into visual dramatic form," he said.

"The suggestions that have been made that I 'disapprove' of the films, vent to the extent of thinking ill of those with whom I may differ, are wholly without foundation."

He added that he had never "expressed any such feeling".

But Tolkien's biographer Michael White recently said he thought the author would have hated the film.

Mr White said: "He had a hatred of all things Hollywood and did not believe in the idea of imitation being the best form of flattery."

The Fellowship of the Rings is an adaptation of the first book from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and all three movies have been directed by Peter Jackson.

Sir Ian McKellen stars as Gandalf

The movies tell the story of how the hobbit Frodo goes on a quest to destroy a ring much sought-after by evil forces.

The first film stars Sir Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood and opens in the UK on 19 December.

Editing has already begun on The Two Towers, the second film, due to come out in December 2002.

The third film, The Return of the King, is set to come out a year later.