Germany's Senator Film Verleih has picked up theGerman rights for the Swiss Lord Of The Rings parody, The Ring Thing,ahead of its world premiere in German-speaking Switzerland by the local outpostof Buena Vista International (BVI) on December 16.

According to the film's producer Kristian Widmerof Condor Communications, which produced the film with the Elevator Group, BVIare planning to launch The Ring Thing 'on a similar scale' toits 2003 local release Achtung, Fertig, Charlie!, which went on to clockup over 529,000 admissions.

The film, which is directed by Marc Schippertand scripted by Good Bye, Lenin! co-author Christoph Silber, is expectedto be released by Senator in the first half of 2005.

The Ring Thing features anall-Swiss cast with Edward Piccin as an unassuming bank clerk called Freddy,who is mistaken for the Hobbit Friedo when he unexpectedly lands in MiddleEarth.