Tolkein estate to kill Hobbit?
According to the AP (via), the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien is suing New Line Cinema, claiming that the film studio hasn’t paid it a penny from the estimated $6 billion the Lord of the Rings films have grossed worldwide.
The suit, filed Monday, claims New Line was required to pay 7.5 percent of gross receipts to Tolkien’s estate and other plaintiffs, who contend they only received an upfront payment of $62,500 for the three movies before production began.
The writer’s estate, a British charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and original “Lord of the Rings” publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema in Los Angeles Superior Court. If successful, it could block the long-awaited prequel to the films.
Robert Pini, a spokesman for Time Warner Inc.’s New Line, declined to comment.
The plaintiffs are seeking $150 million in compensatory damages, unspecified punitive damages and a court order giving the Tolkien estate the right to terminate any rights New Line may have to make films based on other works by the author, including the upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit.
If I remember rightly, non-payment of owed money was also the reason Peter Jackson fell out with New Line in 2005.
Wednesday 13 Feb 2008 | Paul | Corporate Maneuverings, New and Upcoming Films
