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Tolkien Heirs Sue Rings Studio Over Profits

Mega-lawsuit could end plans to film The Hobbit

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 12, 2008 5:51 AM CST
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(Newser) – Heirs of author JRR Tolkien and publisher HarperCollins are suing the studio that made the Lord of the Rings films, claiming New Line Cinema cheated them out of $150 million in profit participation, Variety reports. The Tolkien Trust, a charity set up by the author's children, is also seeking a decision by a Los Angeles court allowing it to halt any further New Line adaptations of the author's works, including the The Hobbit, which is scheduled to be produced by Peter Jackson for New Line.

The three Rings films raked in nearly $6 billion worldwide but the trust and HarperCollins say they have received nothing. "I cannot imagine how on earth New Line will argue that these films could gross literally billions of dollars, and yet the creator's heirs don't get a penny," said one of the trust's lawyers. The complaint says the trust is entitled to 7.5% of gross profits under a 1969 agreement with United Artists passed along to New Line.

This is a 1967 photo of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and an Oxford University Professor. The estate of Tolkien is suing New Line Cinema, the studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company failed to pay a cut of...
This is a 1967 photo of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings" and an Oxford University Professor. The estate of Tolkien is suing New Line Cinema, the studio that released the trilogy based...   (Associated Press)
This photo released by New Line Productions shows actors, from left, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Billy Boyd as Pippin and Sean Astin as Sam in a scene from New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings.
This photo released by New Line Productions shows actors, from left, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Billy Boyd as Pippin and Sean Astin as Sam in a scene from New Line Cinema's "The...   (Associated Press)
A scene from Lord of the Rings. The producers of the trilogy, New Line Cinema, is being sued by the Tolkien Trust.
A scene from Lord of the Rings. The producers of the trilogy, New Line Cinema, is being sued by the Tolkien Trust.   (KRT Photos)
Director Peter Jackson arrives at the 63rd annual Golden Globe Awards, in this Jan. 16, 2006, file photo in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, a planned prequel to the blockbuster trilogy The Lord of the Rings,...
Director Peter Jackson arrives at the 63rd annual Golden Globe Awards, in this Jan. 16, 2006, file photo in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's...   (Associated Press)
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Trust claims studio cheated it out of $150M
Los Angeles Times

Hobbit films could be halted
Slashfilm

 
lawsuit • New Line Cinema • Lord of the Rings • HarperCollins • J. R. R. Tolkien

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