New Line have settled with Tolkien estate

[thepaladin]

The "SiFi channel, now the "SyFy" channel did a pretty good version of Earthsea..again....different from the books, but ok.

You know I read The Wizard of Oz till the covers fell off, but never read the rest of the series...except a few out loud to my kids. Should probably run them down.

 

[Michael01]

Hmm. I was a bit dissapointed with Sc-Fi's Legend of Earthsea, even though I never read the book (but very much want too), as I am without just about all of Sci-Fi's movies. On the other hand, I think they've become very good at making series...

Both The Chronicles of Narnia and The Wizard of Oz are among my favorites. I wouldn't be embarrassed to but them and, as far as I know, neither would a lot nostalgic middle-aged men just like me (haha). As for other children's classics, I'm really not sure.

Now, since we've seriously derailed this topic, all I can do is apologize because I have no idea what else to say on the original subject.

 

[GOLLUM]

Hmm. I was a bit dissapointed with Sc-Fi's Legend of Earthsea, even though I never read the book (but very much want too), as I am without just about all of Sci-Fi's movies. On the other hand, I think they've become very good at making series...

Let me assure you, you have plenty of mates on that score.

I thought Studio Ghibli did a better job, although I know Le Guin wasn't entirely happy with that either.

 

[Michael01]

That's right! I did see the anime movie and really enjoyed it. Sci-Fi's version left me feeling like, "That's it? That's all there is? Come on!"

And it looks like I have a ton of typos in my last post. "Without" should have been "with." I'm sure the rest are self-explanatory. Sorry I didn't take more time to edit.

 

[Moggle]

New Line obviously doesn't want to lose any of the profits from the movies and get cheated by the Tolkien estate. What I don't understand is shouldn't percentages have been agreed upon when they sold the rights?

As for a Wizard of Earthsea, the scifi channel royally screwed the adaptation but quite frankly I didn't find the book special enough that it really mattered. I know the book is popular but I just don't understand why.

 

[Mary Hoffman]

New Line obviously doesn't want to lose any of the profits from the movies and get cheated by the Tolkien estate. What I don't understand is shouldn't percentages have been agreed upon when they sold the rights?

Percentages were agreed; New Line just didn't pay! The Tolkien estate tried over and over again to get the money out of them but only the threat of a court case worked.

Shameful.

 

[Wiglaf]

So does this mean that they might actually release a movie in time for me to take my daughter rather than my future (long, long into the future) grandchildren?

 

[Moggle]

Percentages were agreed; New Line just didn't pay! The Tolkien estate tried over and over again to get the money out of them but only the threat of a court case worked.

Shameful.

Ah, I see. New Line probably didn't like the percentages they originally agreed on.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It doesn't look like New Line liked any of the percentages they originally agreed on, Moggle.

Other "Rings" suits have been brought by:
A ) HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, publisher of Tolkien's works
B ) Producer Saul Zaentz who bought the worldwide film, stage, and merchandise rights from J.R.R. Tolkien
C ) Trilogy director Peter Jackson (who eventually settled out of court and is now executive producing “The Hobbit”)
D ) Sixteen cast members who sued over revenue from merchandise bearing their likenesses

By the means of typical Hollywood creative bookkeeping, they tried to show that the films made no profits.

 

[ghost8772]

Wow, sounds like New line took a page from corporate America. Executives grab all the money they can, then when everyone else in the group (or even investors) start asking about profits they try to look innocent and shrug. Sigh creative book keeping, gotta love it.