Tolkien Trust Okays Hobbit Movie 325
saudadelinux writes "Last year, the Tolkien Trust, which administers JRR's estate, bellowed stentoriously, 'Youuuu shall not make The Hobbit!' and sued New Line Cinema for 'a reported $220m (£133m) in compensation, based on breach of contract and fraud.' New Line, chastened, has settled for an undisclosed sum of money. The Trust has given its blessing to New Line for Guillermo del Toro to film The Hobbit and for New Line to make other films based on Tolkien's work. Much rejoicing!"
Re:Guillermo del Toro (Score:2, Informative)
If you want to see an example of his work, watch Pan's Labyrinth. It's very well done. If The Hobbit is half as good, I'll be pleased.
Yes, you are the only one (Score:4, Informative)
Anyway, am I the only person who actually read The Hobbit, thought it was a great book, read Lord of the Rings and thought it was good, if long-winded, and then absolutely hated the films?
Yes. You probably are the only one. Or at least one of an alarmingly small minority.
Re:well done, Tolkien "trust" (Score:5, Informative)
well done, Tolkien "trust" Sue company for "an undisclosed sum", then allow them to go ahead and make the movie(s).
Maybe you're not familiar with the modern film industry. Here's how it works. You own rights to a book series. A movie company wants to make it a film. They offer you a percentage of the take, you sign a contract, they make a couple of movies, and a pile of cash. Then they tell you the movie flopped and the millions they made were actually from unrelated marketing of the characters to fast food and all the money from the box office was spent on advertising. Sorry, we'll pay you nothing for the rights and just try to make us. So you go to court and 5-10 years later if you had enough money to keep up in the courts you win and actually see the first money.
The difference here is the film company wanted make another movie with rights from the person still suing them for not having paid for the last movie, so said person (trust actually) told them to go to hell until they were paid for the first one. So the film company settled and paid them for the first movie and now the lawyers get to sit down and start over with the hope that the contract for the second movie will be more ironclad and they'll actually be paid in a timely fashion. Maybe they'll just demand a flat fee up front. In any case, I'm inclined to place the blame for this mess on the very, very deceptive and crooked movie industry.
Re:God, Not Another One (Score:3, Informative)
I honestly enjoyed both the books and the movies. Granted - some of the stuff in the movies is crap - so total crap that I winced (yes - "lean forward" almost made me vomit in my mouth a little) - but some was just as I imagined it when I was under my covers reading it by flashlight after "bedtime". Was it the BEST MOVIE EVAR? Hell no - not even close - but it was a good flick that I dont mind popping in to watch as "junk food."
I have high hopes for "The Hobbit" and look forward to it - especially the parts with Smaug. I just hope he does not screw it up.
Re:Hollywood accounting (Score:5, Informative)
That page is 100% hearsay, gossip column and TMZ-esque gossip presented as fact and wikiality.
Yeah, if you don't count all the references and links to well-established facts in examples of Hollywood Accounting.
Which of course you don't count, because your post is 100% garbage anti-WP FUD. You said nothing of value to the human race. The WP page has you beat on that count by miles and miles.
Re:Hollywood accounting (Score:3, Informative)
Seeing you claim, it is hard, to be, incorrect, with the use of the, comma, I would invite, you, to read this sentence, and say it is, grammatically, correct. A comma does indicate a pause, but that is not it's only function in regards to grammar, nor is it too difficult to use it incorrectly. Just don't get me started on incorrect use of apostrophes.