Rings Suit Needs Rounding Out
The lawyers need to shore up their offense or this lawsuit could be headed for the fires of Mordor.
A Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday that certain parts of the suit filed on behalf of J.R.R. Tolkien’s charitable trust against New Line Cinema overwhat else?a royalties dispute must be revised with further details before the case can move forward.
As is, the allegations “support nothing more than a breach of contract” and have not made a case for fraud or breach of fiduciary duty, L.A. Superior Court Judge Ann I. Jones wrote in her decision.
The plaintiffs allege in their complaint that New Line, which produced the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, cheated Tolkien’s trust out of at least $150 million. According to attorneys representing the trust, a contract the late British author inked in 1969 with the studio that originally owned the rights to his classic series stated that his estate was to receive 7.5 percent of gross receipts from any films and related merchandise.
The trilogy, which kicked off in 2001 with LOTR: The Fellowship of the Rings, took in nearly $3 billion at the box office worldwide.
Tolkien’s legal fellowship is asking for both compensatory and punitive damages for its troubles.
Ivy Grows on Sarah Jessica Parker
Now that Sarah Jessica Parker’s Big moment is behind her, it’s time to start thinking about her post-Sex life.
The actress who never met a funny hat she didn’t like is in talks to star in The Ivy Chronicles, a dramedy about a single gal making her way in New York.
If that sounds a little too familiar, this time around Parker would play newly divorced mom Ivy Ames, who loses her high-powered job and has to give up her uptown digs for an apartment more suited to…well, someone like Carrie Bradshaw.
Eventually, she totally rocks her new life in ways meant to both dazzle and inspire the largely female audience this film will be seeking.
If the deal goes forward, this would most likely mark Parker’s next return to the big screen after her massive success with the still-playing cinematic version of Sex and the City.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 43-year-old mother of one had signed on to the romantic comedy The Late Bloomer’s Revolution (which, interestingly, sounds as if it could be about the same exact thing as The Ivy Chronicles) for New Line Cinema and HBO Films’ Picturehouse, but now that New Line has folded into Warner Bros., the future of the project is uncertain.
Eva Longoria Promotes “Over Her Dead Body”
Eva Longoria Promotes “Over Her Dead Body”
Elegantly dressed, Eva Longoria made her way to a photocall for her latest film, Over Her Dead Body, in London earlier today (January 24).
The Desperate Housewife landed in England from Los Angeles on Tuesday - since then doing a little shopping and sticking near her hotel room in The Claridges.
A synopsis for her latest New Line Cinema release reads: Devastated when his fiancée Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) is killed on their wedding day, Henry (Paul Rudd) reluctantly agrees to consult a psychic named Ashley (Lake Bell) at the urging of his sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane). Despite his skepticism over her psychic abilities, Henry finds himself falling hard for Ashley, and vice versa. But there is a big snag. Ashley is being haunted by Kate’s ghost, who considers it her heavenly duty to break up Henry and Ashley’s fledgling romance, if it is the last thing she does on this earthly plane.
Meanwhile, when asked what her reaction was after seeing Over Her Dead Body as a finished product for the first time, Eva replied: “Hilarious. I watched the film for the first time with my husband Tony. He’s a big film guy. He’s watches everything, everything, because he’s always on the road traveling. I was nervous with him watching it because I knew he would be honest. (She laughs) And he loved it and it made me feel good because I was really frightened.”
Del Toro Gets Down to Middle-Earth
The Hobbit's got itself a handler.
Guillermo del Toro has signed on to direct the long-gestating adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's pre-Lord of the Rings masterpiece, as well as a sequel chronicling the Middle-Earth action that takes place during the 60 years before Bilbo Baggins passes that pesky piece of jewelry on to his cousin Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Mexican-born filmmaker will be relocating to New Zealand for four years to shoot the two films back to back, the way Peter Jacksonwho is producing the venture for cofinanciers New Line Cinema and MGMdid with his LOTR trilogy.
New Line, which is overseeing development and production, said Thursday there is no script to speak of yet, but it's likely the Oscar-winning team of Jackson, wife Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will collaborate with del Torohimself an Original Screenplay nominee for Pan's Labyrinth last yearon the project.
"I am indeed blessed to become a part of the filmmaking community that Peter, Fran and their extraordinary team of collaborators have created in New Zealand," del Toro said in a statement. "Contributing to the Lord of the Rings legacy is an absolute dream come true."
Jackson and Walsh returned the compliment in their own statement, labeling del Toro "a cinematic magician who has never lost his childlike sense of wonder."
"We have long admired Guillermo's work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-Earth," they said.
Jackson was originally going to do the behind-the-camera honors himself, but a squabble with New Line over his LOTR proceeds put an end to that fanciful idea. Although they settled their differences late last year, by then Jackson was already committed to bringing Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones to the big screen, and del Toro arose as the likely choice to succeed Jackson as the cinematic master of Middle-earth.
But del Toro can't delve into this brave new world just yet. He's currently still ensconced in postproduction on Hellboy 2, a sequel to the surprise 2004 hit about a big red demon who fights the forces of darkness.