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Uh-Oh! Hobbit Film In Jeopardy!
Filed under: Film Flickers
A lawsuit between New Line Cinema and the heirs of JRR Tolkien could force the new Hobbit film by Guillermo del Toro to come to an abrupt and permanent end!
Tolkein's heirs are claiming they were screwed out of some deserved funds from the profits of the Lord of The Rings films.
They are seeking the sum of $220 million dollars as well as the complete rights to future films based on Tolkien's work. The rights would include the option to "terminate" any production that breaches the contract.
Bonnie Eskenazi, the representative of the Tolkein family, says: "Should the case go all the way to trial, we are confident that New Line will lose its rights to The Hobbit."
The case is set to be heard at a Los Angeles superior court in October. Though Tolkin did indeed sell the film rights in 1969 for a meager upfront fee, he was also promised 7.5% of any future profits. In total, between theatrical and DVD sales, the Lord of The Rings trilogy made somewhere upwards of $6 billion dollars. The Tolkien estate has yet to see any of that profit and New Line's argument is that the original contract was "ambiguous".
Greedy, greedy, greedy!
Sorry Guellermo. As much as we're sure the nerds of the world want to see your movie, we want justice to be served.
Aww man, that suck, I'm sure that Del Toro would have made two awesome films out of the Hobbit.
I am a 'nerd of the world' that would like to see this movie : )
Ghe-tto! I love when family members mooch off of their dead relatives…right Joe Jackson?
Boooooooooooooring
justice my ass talk about greedy, the heirs to Tolkien's fortune are being greedy…. I'm sure they are all well off from it already. they didn't write those books or make the movies why should they get any compensation
Wake up fatboy this has been going on for years.
If it was "Ambiguous" then they should have sought clarification, not just refused to give money. Why does hollywood ALWAYS try to rip people off? It's ridiculous. They always end up losing when the cases go to court.
Oh PLEASE! this is a thinly veiled attempt by the Tolkien family to squeeze more dough out of New Line/Peter Jackson for the Lord of the Rings films. Give me a break! As if selling trillions of books over 100 years in a hundred languages isn't enough of a revenue stream for them!! This will not go to court, they will settle if the Tolkiens have a case, and the Hobbit film will be made in the meantime, courts take forever!!
They should have had some kind of contract. Something shady is going on here. But, I hope the Hobbit gets made. Like all the films I would love to see it.
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I guess I'm a nerd too! and I also would like to see this movie! let me go find my nerdy glasses..
that's too bad! i'm a nerd of the world who wants to see the movie : )
Whatever. I don't buy it. I think they're just being greedy shits.
This nerd wants to see the Hobbit movie too.
Tolkien wrote the damn stories. His heirs are entitled to their money. You can't just say they're too rich to honor their contract.
What FOOL wrote this? Identify yourself! You have variously spelled Tolkien - Tolkein twice, Tolkin, and Tolkien as well as Guillermo and Guellermo. How pathetic!
Guellermo????
Porkez, as usual you're an ignorant asshole.
uberbling, my thoughts exactly.
NOOOO!!!!!!! oh my god, i'm going to curl up in the fetal position and DIE if this movie doesn't get made. you have no idea, LOTR owns my life. i am the biggest fucking uber-geek in the world.
as much as I believe that New Line Cinema would do this (they did it to Peter Jackson as well, which is exactly why HE'S not directing The Hobbit) I really hope they can come to some agreement or at least take the project to a new distribution company.
DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND PAY THE FAMILY THEIR DUE AND THEN MAKE THIS FREAKIN' MOVIE.
IT IS BOX OFFICE GOLD.
Perez, you are the biggest nerd there is man. Ugly.. check. Fat….check. Hideous outfits… check…. and so on and so on….
NO this is not trying to SQUEEZE money out of Peter Jackson. I'm pretty sure PETER JACKSON had to SQUEEZE money out of New Line Cinema himself! NEW LINE IS MONEY HUNGRY!!!
Del Toro on this one? Oh, this is gonna be good (if it's made). In all fairness though, sounds like New Line are being a bunch of greedy bastards. Pay what you owe so we can see The Hobbit, damnit! Just b/c the dude's dead doesn't mean you can backtrack on what was promised (and signed on a contract).
i want o see it!! www.missperfectblonde.com
New Line apparently screws everyone out of their contract these days.
I hope they pay the family so we, nerds, can see this movie =(
New Line would be idiots not to pay the money, if that's what it takes to make the Hobbit. They will make that money back and then some if that movie is made.
no! get the film out!
Ugh. IMO, the family should find ways to make their own hard-earned money, rather than live off an ancestor.
These are the same people who tried asking for 6 billion a few years back, right?
Is the Hobbit a pre sequel to Lord of the Rings.. I'm confused