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calisuri
PTB
Mar 8 2008, 2:00pm
Post #1 of 19
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New Logo Before Hobbit
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Kristin Thompson has a wonderful new article up outlining the success of 'The Golden Compass' overseas, and more relevant to Tolkien fans, news about the New Line Logo appearing before the 'Hobbit' project:
This tends to confirm what previous coverage has hinted: that New Line will be allowed to make The Hobbit itself (in a co-production with MGM) rather than turning the project over to Warner Bros. This, coupled with Anne Thompson’s recent remarks that Mark Ordesky will likely supervise The Hobbit and its untitled companion film, suggests that fans may have less to worry about than they thought. Time Warner and Warner Bros. may recognize that it’s best not to tamper with success. Keeping the circumstances for this new project as close to those of the LOTR trilogy as possible offers the best chance for lightning to strike twice.
Read the full article at Kristin's website, and don't forget to order your copy of 'The Frodo Franchise!' [Read More]
The Mysterious Calisuri
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ArathornJax
Nargothrond
Mar 8 2008, 2:36pm
Post #2 of 19
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Read this yesterday right when she posted it
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and there are some exciting news as it talks about how Ordesky will be retained to oversee The Hobbit and The Inklings, and how the other two Golden Compass movies will probably be made just based on the overseas sales (and TW will not allow the sale of overseas rights, unlike New Line). I was glad to read that Warner is going to keep Ordesky and as the article says, "why mess with success?" It mentions Del Torro will likely direct though not mentioning anything about signing him.
All of this points to a further quick settlement I think by Time Warner with the TE in order to move the project forward. I've said this before and will continue to say this, money talks and there is A LOT of money here so in the end, I don't see a real long term delay on The Hobbit. Realize by that I am saying the movie will only be delayed by a year or so (and in business terms, that is not that long).
" . . . (we are ) too engrossed in thinking of everything as a preparation or training or making one fit -- for what? At any minute it is what we are and are doing, not what we plan to be and do that counts."
J.R.R. Tolkien in his 6 October 1940 letter to his son Michael Tolkien.
(This post was edited by ArathornJax on Mar 8 2008, 2:39pm)
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Sunflower
Doriath
Mar 8 2008, 6:34pm
Post #3 of 19
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there's a catch. Warner's is doing away with NL's practice of selling off overseas rights. They want every penny, or every penny possible. I didn't really care about this until reading Peredhil's post yesterday about The Frodo Franchise and how many foreign film distributers used the windfall from LOTR profits to build up their operations in support of local cinema in their countries, just as PJ helped NZ cinema. Now that will be gone....
Well...let me think about this...I'll only beliee it when I see the confirmed announcement. This may be the studio playing a PR game and trying to allay fans' fears.
I remain a skeptic
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Sunflower
Doriath
Mar 8 2008, 7:24pm
Post #4 of 19
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I just got done reading it and beg to differ on why the Golden Compass failed in the U.S. as opposed to international markets. New Line tried to market it as a fantasy franchise sequel to LOTR not because it didn't know how to market it as a family film, but because they were (rightly) afraid of the mainstream US media picking up on the seemingly pro-athiestic plot of the books.(as much as you argue it, anyone who has read the 3rd book knows that short of re-writing the whole story, the studio is going to have a wee bit of a problem.) Esp the 2nd and 3rd ones, which was why they meddled with the climatic ending the books' fans loved so much.Which in turn led to another reason it failed: in turn, the book's fans were angry and there was no badly needed repeat business.
Europe is more secular, you don't have the fanatical Christian evangelical element (and its conversely current sympathetic reception in the media these days ) there, and of course audiences in Asian markets wouldn't care much about such things. The books are not as well known in many overseas markets so they''re easier to sell in a blank slate.
Warner's had better hug those newly acquired int'l rights tight, b/c they're going to need them. If films 2 and esp 3 are made, the films will do less business in the US than ever. But this should be good news for the books' fans, it would be great for them, and Pullman, if they are made. Hopefully with less studio meddling in the creative process.
It still gets me angry....NL being given the coup de grace b/c of its practice of selling intl' rights. This practice was a win-win for all involved, and it could have happened again.
With Warner's stock price, do you REALLY think they'll let MGM anywhere near this? Even as a distributor??
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fmaximus
Ossiriand
Mar 8 2008, 9:00pm
Post #5 of 19
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"Ordesky will be retained to oversee The Hobbit and The Inklings"
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I thought PJ was the one to oversee the Hobbit. 
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Sunflower
Doriath
Mar 8 2008, 9:44pm
Post #6 of 19
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Somewhere long ago I called Del Toro's director buddies Cuaron and Inarritu "The Mexican Inklings", but do you mean the whole creative team of LOTR or what? 
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Mar 9 2008, 1:23am
Post #7 of 19
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Jackson will still be the Executive Producer
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and Ordesky (if I understand this correctly) will be the NL/Warner representative. It was Ordesky that first brought Peter and New Line together back in the first age ;)
I'm so delighted they'll be working together again. And I have to say I'm happy the New Line logo will appear on the film. Shaye was the villain in this... not NL, imho. Those people have been through a lot. The thought of any of the NL people (like Ordesky) who were part of LotR having the opportunity to finish the run of films with Jackson feels right. I have to admit seeing the New Line logo at the beginning of the films is the trigger that shifts me into Middle-earth gear. To have it lead me into these last two films is okie-dokie :)
 
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming!
"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."
TORn's Observations Lists
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Darkstone
Elvenhome
Mar 9 2008, 3:22am
Post #8 of 19
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..was also the executive produce on the three LOTR films, along with Michael Lynne, Robert Shaye, and the Weinstein brothers.
However,Jackson was merely a producer for LOTR. As an EP on The Hobbit he would seem to have even more control than before.
Exactly what an executive producer does varies wildly. For example, though the Weinstein brothers were EPs on LOTR (and will also be EPs on The Hobbit and bridge film), they did nothing but collect money from Jackson. (Jackson had to pay them $12 million and 5% of his part of the gross so he could make the movies. Jackson will also have to pay them when he makes The Hobbit and the bridge film.)
But anyway, Ordesky's cool because he let Jackson sleep on his office couch when PJ was poor.
******************************************
The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
(This post was edited by Darkstone on Mar 9 2008, 3:24am)
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Compa_Mighty
Dor-Lomin
Mar 9 2008, 5:16am
Post #9 of 19
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and Ordesky (if I understand this correctly) will be the NL/Warner representative. It was Ordesky that first brought Peter and New Line together back in the first age ;)
I'm so delighted they'll be working together again. And I have to say I'm happy the New Line logo will appear on the film. Shaye was the villain in this... not NL, imho. Those people have been through a lot. The thought of any of the NL people (like Ordesky) who were part of LotR having the opportunity to finish the run of films with Jackson feels right. I have to admit seeing the New Line logo at the beginning of the films is the trigger that shifts me into Middle-earth gear. To have it lead me into these last two films is okie-dokie :)
Every word you spoke in this last post is full of truth gramma!
I wish they'd update the lion, though... looks way too old fashioned.
Here's to Del Toro becoming the Irvin Kershner of Middle Earth!
Essay winner of the Show us your Hobbit Pride Giveway!
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Solicitr
Mithlond
Mar 10 2008, 3:01am
Post #10 of 19
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"With Warner's stock price, do you REALLY think they'll let MGM anywhere near this? Even as a distributor??"
TW has no choice: MGM/UA owns the Hobbit distribution rights outright, having bought them from Tolkien in 1969 and never having sold them to Saul Zaentz or anyone else. And MGM is NOT going to let them go!
How did this happen? Because Zaentz' plans (in 1976) for The Hobbit were limited to licensing Rankin-Bass' made-for-TV cartoon, which of course didn't need a distribution license.
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Sunflower
Doriath
Mar 10 2008, 8:53am
Post #11 of 19
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Just when I didn't think this could get any more complicated
If MGM bought the distribution rights, why weren't they able to get hold of the production rights as well? Whogot what first, MGM or Zaentz?
There's a simple answer to this, of course, but I don't know it...:)
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Peredhil lover
Doriath
Mar 10 2008, 9:12am
Post #12 of 19
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about the whole Hobbit mess? There are days when I seriously doubt that! 
I do not suffer from LotR obsession - I enjoy every minute of it.
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Solicitr
Mithlond
Mar 10 2008, 1:56pm
Post #13 of 19
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Tolkien sold the film rights to LR and Hobbit to United Artists in 1969
Zaentz bought almost the whole package from UA in 1976, but didn't think he wanted the Hobbit distribution rights, so UA kept those.
UA merged with MGM in 1981
Miramax optioned a 10-year license from Zaentz in 1998 (obviously, this was only for the rights Zaentz owned)
New Line bought the license from Miramax in 1999.
(This post was edited by Solicitr on Mar 10 2008, 2:06pm)
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Ainu Laire
Dor-Lomin
Mar 11 2008, 12:25am
Post #14 of 19
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2008 is here and going (is it March already?) What will happen to those rights if the Tolkien Estate mess is not yet settled? And when New Line folds, do the rights go to Warner Bros or back to Zaentz? I wonder if, considering the rumors going about, if they've been able to reinstate their contract with Zaentz.
Man, this is a never-ending drama...
My LJ
My art site
NARF since age 8, when I refused to read the Hobbit because the cover looked boring and icky.
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Solicitr
Mithlond
Mar 11 2008, 3:23am
Post #15 of 19
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been folded into Warners, and Warners succeeds to all of NL's assets and liabilities, including both the Hobbit license and the Estate and Zaentz lawsuits.
TW can keep the rights alive by beginning 'production' within ten years: which is a rather fuzzy concept. But so far very, very little has been done: I don't even know if Del Toro is actually under contract yet. If they fail to start 'production' (whatever that means) Hobbit reverts to Zaentz.
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Sunflower
Doriath
Mar 11 2008, 3:46am
Post #16 of 19
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Which was the same problem New Line had.
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That was why they were all set to (no doubt) hire Del Toro and get the scriptwriting etc begun as soon as the writer's strike ended. Which in turn was the reason why the TE filed so swiftly. And so it goes.
This gets more dramatic by the week, but that explanation helped a lot.
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Solicitr
Mithlond
Mar 11 2008, 4:00am
Post #17 of 19
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it was not "Which in turn was the reason why the TE filed so swiftly." The TE had to file because the Statute of Limitations was about to run out. They had tried negotiation with NL as long as was possible, but time was up.
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entmaiden
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Mar 11 2008, 5:10pm
Post #19 of 19
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It depends on what the Estate wants out of the lawsuit, and what I've read is a little unclear. On the one hand, the Estate is suing New Line for their fair share of the profits of the movies that already have been made. If New Line's rights to make the bridge movie lapses, the Estate can continue with the lawsuit. The movie-yet-to-be-made is not related to the movies-already-released.
On the other hand, if the Estate wants to stop additional movies being made, then they do care who owns the rights, but if this is what they really wanted, they have two problems. First, they should have filed the suit against Zaentz, who owns the rights. New Line has merely rented them and suing New Line doesn't prevent Zaentz from contracting with another studio. Second, the lawsuit specifically says the Estate does not want to impair the rights of any other party - just New Line's rights.
So the Estate seems to want to get their fair share of the profits and prevent New Line from making the new movies until the Estate is satisfied. Of course, whatever resolution as to the profits of the existing movies would be applied to any future movies.
Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like a green leaf veined with silver.
`Are these magic cloaks?' asked Pippin, looking at them with wonder.
`I do not know what you mean by that,' answered the leader of the Elves.
NARF since 1974.
Balin Bows
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