Thanks to Board Member Elven for sending along this ‘News in Brief’ from the TimesOnline.co.uk:
In our report of the litigation between the Tolkien family and New Line Cinema, producers of The Lord of the Rings (May 25), we did not make it clear that Christopher Tolkien is suing as a trustee of the Tolkien Trust, a registered charity, and the JRR Tolkien 1967 Discretionary Settlement. It was another member of the family who referred to the action as “one last crusade”, not Mr Tolkien, and the hearing on June 6 was to fix a date for the eventual trial, not actually to halt Hollywood plans to film The Hobbit. We apologise to the trustees and Mr Tolkien for these errors.
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Can’t quite visualize that? Believe it or not, that’s one of the many casting rumors that was sent to TORn in June of 1999, reported in the Sunday Star Times no less. Now that the casting rumor mill has started anew for The Hobbit and ‘F2,’ message board member diedye thought it would be fun to re-visit some of the old news reported on TORn in times past. Do you remember the first photos of Sam and Frodo on Mt. Doom from June of 2000? Did you know Bruce Willis was rumored to have petitioned PJ for a part in LOTR? With a few items sprinkled in from Tolkien’s letters and other sources, this makes for a fun trip down memory lane. Stay tuned for regular installments!
Continue reading “TORn Flashback June 9-14: Keanu Reeves or Danny DiVito as Gandalf?”
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Yvonne T let us in on a new book about Tolkien by our good pal Douglas A. Anderson, ‘On Tolkien: Interviews, Reminiscences, and Other Essays is described as an extraordinary glimpse into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien through his own words and those of family, friends, and colleagues. [Amazon.com] Continue reading “New Book: On Tolkien: Interviews, Reminiscences, and Other Essays”
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With the many rumors circulating about the Tolkien vs. New Line lawsuit and what impact it might have on The Hobbit, it’s easy to get confused about the facts. Lucky for TORn, Douglas C. Kane, a.k.a. Voronwe the Faithful from our message boards, an attorney who has been closely following the case, has crafted an outstanding primer of all things “Tolkien Lawsuit.”
“There has been a lot of misconception and misinformation swirling around regarding the lawsuit that has been filed by the Tolkien family against New Line. Media reports have claimed that it was a “last crusade” by Tolkien’s son Christopher to stop the upcoming Hobbit films. Some have gone so far as to report that the famously reclusive Christopher (who lives in France) was scheduled to appear in court this past week and that a judgment was going to be issued. These reports are untrue.”
Continue reading “Clearing up Misconceptions Regarding the Tolkien vs. New Line Lawsuit”
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A special thanks to TORn board member Voronwë_the_Faithful for posting this in the TORn forums concerning the Tolkien vs. New Line/MGM lawsuit:
…The court’s website now shows that a trial date has been set, for October 19, 2009. It is scheduled to be a jury trial, with a 15-20 day time estimate. The court also scheduled two more status conferences, for December 8, 2008 and October 9, 2009.
I should caution that it is very common for trial dates to get continued, so there is no guarantee at all that the trial will happen then, even if the case does not settle for then. And there will be a lot more legal manuevering between now and then.
Join in the discussion in our message boards! [TORn Forum]
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Message board member Woodyend alerts us to an upcoming judgement in the case of Christopher Tolkien vs. New Line Cinema. The lawsuit claims the Tolkien family is owed £80m by New Line Cinema under a deal for a 7.5% share of profits that was signed in 1969. Here is an excerpt of what The Times Online reported back on May 25th:
“At a hearing on June 6 Christopher Tolkien will ask a Californian judge to back his claim that he can “terminate” film rights to The Hobbit. He is said to be furious with the New Line studio, which earned £3 billion from the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s lawyers accuse New Line of “accounting chicanery”. Warner Bros, owner of New Line, declined to comment.”
Sounds like things could get heated! TORn will update Ringers on any developments as they come in to our email. For some great reporting and perspective on this story, check out our good friend Kristen Thompson’s ‘Frodo Franchise’ blog as well. [Times Online] [Frodo Franchise]
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