Hobbit Hold-Up

Filed under: Film Flickers

thehobbit.jpg

The Hobbit may not be coming to movie theaters anytime soon if Christopher Tolkien has his way.

Christopher is the 83 year old son of J.R.R. Tolkien, and he's fighting to prevent the movie from being released.

He's currently in a court battle, attempting to stop the movie from being made.

What could be the problem?

Money, of course!

Tolkien claims his family is still owed a LOT of money from New Line Cinema, which purchased the rights in a 1978 sale and promised them 7.5% of the profits.

He says they are still owed over $150 million!!

And with the studio now under, Warner Bros has no comment on its financial problems.

The Hobbit was set to be released in December 2010, but let's see if it makes it that far.

The next court hearing will be on June 6th, when Tolkien will petition a California judge to terminate the film rights.

Hey, we're all up for seeing the movie, but if they are owed money, then they are owed money.

Pay up!!!

    Posted: May 27, 2008 at 1:30 pm / Email this  »

    42 comments to “Hobbit Hold-Up”

    1. anony says – reply to this


      1

      wtf

    2. Melanie says – reply to this


      2

      I DONT CARE HOBBITS ARE STUPID

    3. bitch says – reply to this


      3

      you suck

    4. JK says – reply to this


      4

      Pay the man! 23rd!

    5. Rochelle says – reply to this


      5

      They should pay Tolkien's family! Gosh, 150 mil should be a drop in the bucket for New Line considering that LOTR trilogy made them millions upon millions the world over.
      PAY THEM ALREADY!!!! I, for one, want to see this film made and can't wait to watch it.

      Everyone: Read The Hobbit! It is the best Tolkien work



    6. 6

      150 million b*tches!

    7. me says – reply to this


      7

      1st

    8. c says – reply to this


      8

      c

    9. knifelicker.com says – reply to this


      9

      First, for real?

    10. Lucy says – reply to this


      10

      First Bitches!!!!

    11. Pants says – reply to this


      11

      Wow…this is the closest I've gotten to first! Love you, Perez!!!!

    12. Rochelle..... AGAIN says – reply to this


      12

      I so hope they can get Sir ian Holm and Sir Ian McKellen again for the roles of Bilbo and Gandalf!! It would not be The Hobbit without them!

    13. Jimmyboyo says – reply to this


      13

      PAY UP!

    14. Jimmyboyo says – reply to this


      14

      Re: Rochelle – more like the trilogy made the studios billions

    15. Leila says – reply to this


      15

      PAY THE MAN TO GO AWAY HIS BOOKS SUCK(although good graphics) I could,nt watch the first 10 minutes OF THE FIRST MOVIE. Go Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    16. asdf says – reply to this


      16

      shady…. pay the man and let us have the movie!!!

    17. Queen Of All Canada says – reply to this


      17

      NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

      I loved the LOTR trilogy and am so looking forward to seeing The Hobbit…greed is such a nasty thing eh?

    18. sam says – reply to this


      18

      I think he's right to want the money. But id rather have an amazing film being made, with the tolkien estate still being owed money, rather than no film at all. Its not like they NEED the money RIGHT NOW, anyway.

    19. tallyrand says – reply to this


      19

      the film industry is one of the sleaziest, amoral places to make a deal. Even with a contract. People are screwed every day- some of the biggest names are the biggest liars and number manipulators. What they are is thieves- and they not only will steal cash (because they are greedy) but also ideas. Good luck getting your money from them- because the Hollywood lawyers have to get their cut. They should have never sold those rights.

    20. ed says – reply to this


      20

      Life must be great to get paid that kind of money for doing absolutely shit.

    21. JJ says – reply to this


      21

      Talk about scamming off your fathers talent!! thats just gross…let everyone watch the movies and enjoy the story!! they might end up loving it enough to read to books…

    22. boxerdude says – reply to this


      22

      Re: sam

      wow. that's the most retarded comment i've ever read. sure, why pay them the royalties they're owned? i'm sure they'd much prefer to see new line make another billion or so as long as there's a great movie out there for the masses!

      you stupid fuck. let's see how long you'd stay at your job if your boss stopped paying you - instead saying "isn't the satisfaction of doing a good job worth it???"

      retard.

    23. Franklin says – reply to this


      23

      Gee, New Line just so happened to shut down after the Lord of the Rings trilogy was completed — which makes paying the Tolkien estate a bit more difficult to do. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

    24. L says – reply to this


      24

      Look at the photoshopped line of little Gimli's!

    25. ernieb says – reply to this


      25

      Amazingly, no movie or television production has ever made a profit. Always cut your deal on the gross, not the net.

    26. Crispy says – reply to this


      26

      The family didn't create The Hobbit. J.R.Tolkien is dead… he can't collect what was probaby owed to him, and the family didn't create The Hobbit, so wtf are they complaining for? If New Line bought the rights in 1978 and promised a percentage of the profit, wtf is the family bitching about? The movie hasn't even come out yet to make a profit (unless I'm mistaken and new line has already released a hobbit movie). Are they owed money on The Hobbit, or the LTR series?



    27. 27

      If they wait a couple of years then the old fuck will kick off allowing them to make the movie…isn't that what Hollywood was made on??? Other peoples ideas with that person not getting credit???

    28. asd says – reply to this


      28

      whoever read the hobbit knows that it shows that people can go apeshit over money, like the fucking dwarves and stuff in the book…

    29. Layla says – reply to this


      29

      re: crispy
      He wants to get paid the money he is owed for the three LOTR movies that the studios made tons of money on. He wants to halt the hobbit until he gets paid what they already owe him from those three movies that have been out.
      Shady…shady
      Just pay the man what he's legally entitled to so we can get the hobbit already

    30. joe says – reply to this


      30

      Check out the actress who played Ruthie on 7th Heaven in her underwear and kissing another girl!

      www.outtarehab.com

    31. j says – reply to this


      31

      aw that sucks!! I WANT TO SEE THE HOBBIT =(

    32. jez says – reply to this


      32

      83 year old son?! He's almost DEAD! Release the movie for those of us who are still alive!!

    33. Dannie says – reply to this


      33

      Good for him!! His family deserves that money… his father was an amazing writer and his work deserves to be recognized considering how much will be made off of the film the Hobbit (which will be a ton cause the book is amazing).
      Also I agree, read the Hobbit and also the whole trilogy the books are even better than the films. Everyone should read these remarkable books.

    34. anne says – reply to this


      34

      DON'T GO SEE THAT MOVIE!!!

      THE FUCKERS FROM NLC KICKED PETER JACKSON OUT!!

      THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO BE A REAL SHIT MOVIE!!!!

    35. Anon says – reply to this


      35

      Actually, The Hobbit is set to come out Dec of 2011 and Film Two Dec of 2012, according to an interview done by Guillermo del Toro, the director, and Peter Jackson.



    36. 36

      Honestly, New Line Cinema owed them money, which no longer exists. If you have a gift card to Olive Garden and they go out of business…you're screwed, sorry. It doesn't really say how long he's been fighting this but if it's a recent case, why bring it up now at 83?

    37. steph says – reply to this


      37

      DAMMIT…I NEED THAT MOVIE! DAMN YOU NEW LINE! Its Tolkeins freakin brother, they'll make even more money if he just let the movie be RELEASED, dumbass

    38. Brahman says – reply to this


      38

      The trilogy grossed a total of $1,061,000,000, and the budget for all 3 was a combined $297,000,000. The remainder of $764,000,000, if split 50/50 with theaters, leaves a net profit of $384,000,000 for the studio. 7.5% of that equals $28,650,000, not $150,000,000, so Christopher Tolkien is full of shit six times over.

    39. Princess Mags says – reply to this


      39

      Pay up greedy mutha fuckers or the LOTR/Hobbit fans are gonna bust a cap in your ass.

    40. Anie says – reply to this


      40

      Tolkien's son is such a nasty little shit. Every time he starts running out of money he does an insanely crappy edit of one of his Dad's works and publishes it. I understand he is owed money, but karma can be a bitch and it's running out of time to nip him in the ass. I'm sure his Dad would not appreciate him making money off crappy versions of his works. Tolkien must be rolling in his grave!

    41. Marissa says – reply to this


      41

      Re: Melanie – what are you four? Do Hobbits have cooties too?

    42. sandma says – reply to this


      42

      Peter Jackson tried to get a look at the books when the money didn't add up and then 'New Line got protection and got to keep every dime they pilfered. So I hope Whatever studio is making the film can reach a deal (and I hope they do the right thing and work with the family). I read the 'LOTR Trilogy has already earned $3.5 billion globally and is expected to hit $5 billion. What's a couple hundred million to the family, when the rights to the trilogy went for next to nothing?