For those of you holding your breath for that big announcement that Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema and MGM Studios are moving forward on the two rumored Hobbit films may want to breathe, because it doesn’t sound like it is going to happen, at least not with that trio.
I was just sent a link to a January 7 article over at SCI-FI in which New Line head Robert Shaye is quoted with some hateful words toward Jackson concerning the lawsuit Jackson brought against the studio when his production company, Wingnut Films, claimed it has been shortchanged profits from part one of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
“I do not want to make a movie with somebody who is suing me.”
“There’s a kind of arrogance… Not that I don’t think Peter is a good filmmaker and that he hasn’t contributed significantly to filmography and made three very good movies. And I don’t even expect him to say ‘thank you’ for having me make it happen and having New Line make it happen. But to think that I, as a functionary in [a] company that has been around for a long time, but is now owned by a very big conglomerate, would care one bit about trying to cheat the guy, … he’s either had very poor counsel or is completely misinformed and myopic to think that I care whether I give him [anything].”
“He got a quarter of a billion dollars paid to him so far, justifiably, according to contract, completely right, and this guy, who already has received a quarter of a billion dollars, turns around without wanting to have a discussion with us and sues us and refuses to discuss it unless we just give in to his plan. I don’t want to work with that guy anymore. Why would I? So the answer is he will never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I’m still working for the company.”
“I don’t care about Peter Jackson anymore. He wants to have another $100 million or $50 million, whatever he’s suing us for. He doesn’t want to sit down and talk about it. He thinks that we owe him something after we’ve paid him over a quarter of a billion dollars. … Cheers, Peter.”
I don’t know about the rest of you, but no matter how much money I have been paid, if someone or some company owes me $50-100 million, I want it.
It seems this has turned into quite the shitty situation as Shaye even says that many of the Rings actors have declined to participate in celebrating New Line’s 40th anniversary. Damn, this doesn’t look friendly.
You can get the full article here.
