Tolkien Estate Suing New Line Cinema
February 11, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
The estate of “Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien is suing New Line Cinema, the studio behind the blockbuster films based on the books. They claim the company failed to pay them a cut of gross profits.
The writer’s estate, a British charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and “Lord of the Rings” publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, reports the Associated Press.
The lawsuit claims New Line was required to pay 7.5 percent of gross receipts from the films to Tolkien’s estate and the other plaintiffs.
The three films – 2001’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2002’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” – have grossed nearly $6 billion combined worldwide, according to the complaint.
The suit could put the next Tolkien project in jeopardy. “Rings” trilogy director Peter Jackson has already signed on to serve as executive producer of a two-film prequel based on “The Hobbit,” scheduled to begin production next year, with releases planned for 2010 and 2011.
Even more trouble for New Line, huh? These guys really haven’t been conducting business very well lately. The ongoing Peter Jackson trouble hasn’t prevented them from coming up with The Hobbit, though, so maybe this won’t either.