Another famous fantasy series I've never heard of is getting the LoTR treatment.

According to the Powell's Books blog, Deryni Rising, the first book in a "classic sci-fi series" written by Katherine Kurtz, is on its way to the big screen. I'd never heard of this author or this series, but five minutes' research has produced the following info:

1. The Deryni novels are historical fantasy.

2. The first novel in the series (Deryni Rising) was published in 1970, and the most recent novel (Childe Morgan) was published in 2006.

3. As of 2007, this series consists of five trilogies (one of which is not yet completed), one standalone novel, two collections of short stories, and two reference books.

I also now know more about Ireland's policy of not taxing book royalties, (a policy which the American-born Ms. Kurtz appears to have taken advantage of). Thanks, Wikipedia!