*sigh* I guess I have to do a post about this.  Parent company Time Warner has consolidated New Line Cinema and Warner Bros.

As an example of lost revenue opportunities, New Line’s "The Golden Compass" made $70 million domestically through Feb. 24 but raked in $261 million abroad, from which the studio saw limited benefit because it had to sell those distribution rights to various other companies. The Warner Bros. international network will allow Time Warner to reap such sales directly.

Hmm, perhaps that’s why they were stiffing the Tolkien estate on that little matter of the 7.5% of six billion they owe them.  Allegedly.

New Line has several potential hits in production, such as the next film in the "Lord of the Rings" series, "The Hobbit," which is set for release in 2010 [and totally up in the air], and "Sex and the City: The Movie" due to hit theaters in May.

I don’t know what this means for the movie industry, but I’m sad that I’ll probably never get to use my zingy one liner, “New Line Cinemas, ha, more like Jew Line Cinemas!”   I’m so edgy!

The estate of Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing New Line Cinemas, putting the status of The Hobbit movies in limbo.

New Line, who apparently doesn’t like to share, had only recently settled with LoR trilogy director Peter Jackson over back revenue.  Now The Tolkien Trust and Harper Collins, whom New Line owes 7.5% of LoR’s gross box office, is accusing them of not paying.  At all.

New Line has not paid the plaintiffs even one penny of its contractual share of gross receipts despite the [six] billions of dollars of gross revenue generated by these wildly successful motion pictures… The complaint seeks, among other things, in excess of $150 million in compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages, and a declaration from the Court that the plaintiffs have a right to terminate any further rights New Line may have to the Tolkien works under the agreements, including The Hobbit [a two-movie production rumored to involve Guillermo Del Toro - Ed.], due to the serious and material nature of the breach of the agreements.

In related news, my asshole roommate never buys toilet paper so tomorrow I’m going to shit in his fishtank.  Judgement for the plaintiff.