Rings Actors to sue New Line Cinema

[Eledhwen]

FROM THE BBC NEWS WEBSITE: 7 June 2007 Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6729299.stm)

Rings actors sue over merchandise

Fifteen actors who appeared in The Lord of the Rings trilogy have sued film studio New Line in a dispute over money from the sales of movie merchandise.

The New Zealand actors claim New Line broke a contract to give them 5% of an estimated $100m (£50m) profits from the sales of caps, games and other items.

The actors' lawyer, who filed the case in Los Angeles, said New Line wrongly took "gross participation" fees.

A New Line spokesman said the company did not comment on pending litigation.

Henry Gradstein, who is representing the actors, claimed "Hollywood accounting" had led to the discrepancy.

He maintained that "gross participation" and distribution fees swallowed up all of the profits owed to the actors....
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Interesting links on the right of this article!

[baragund]

Oh Dear...

Things just go from bad to worse.:( With all this litigation going on, I fear it will be a looooong time before The Hobbit sees the silver screen.

[Eledhwen]

With one Law suit against them, New Line might be seen to have made an oversight. With two Law suits against them, a kind interpretation would be gross administrative incompetence; but with Peter Jackson, Saul Zaentz and fifteen Kiwis all queueing up to sue, one has to wonder ....

If I'd had a Rings contract with New Line, I'd be going over my books with a fine toothed comb.

[Firawyn]

God, Peter Jackson is so filthy rich why doesn't he just film The Hobbit independently...he doesn't need New Line...

Heck, he's got Weta wrapped around his finger, so he's got teh 'big shots' he needs... :mad:

[Eledhwen]

God, Peter Jackson is so filthy rich why doesn't he just film The Hobbit independently...he doesn't need New Line...What he doesn't have is the right to do that. Saul Zaentz owns the rights to LotR and The Hobbit, and only licenced New Line to produce the films. Now whoever wants to make The Hobbit will have to go and ask him first.

[Firawyn]

So no chance he (PJ) could buy him out?

I don't know, it all seems so insane when you think about it. Why is there so much hassle about this? Why didn't the fighting start way back when FotR was released?

[Barliman Butterbur]

FROM THE BBC NEWS WEBSITE: 7 June 2007 Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6729299.stm)
Rings actors sue over merchandise

None of this surprises me. Shaye's overreaction re: PJ clinched it for me that they were cooking the books. New Line is now being sued by these actors, by PJ, and by Saul Zaentz. I hope they get the royal purple shaft for the way they've treated these people.

Barley

[Eledhwen]

None of this surprises me. Shaye's overreaction re: PJ clinched it for me that they were cooking the books. New Line is now being sued by these actors, by PJ, and by Saul Zaentz. I hope they get the royal purple shaft for the way they've teated these people.

BarleyI agree. I find it difficult to feel sorry for Peter Jackson or Saul Zaentz, but the struggling acting fraternity of New Zealand is quite another matter. You get the measure of someone (individual or corporate) by the way they honour (or otherwise) their agreements with the little guys.