Posted on 09/08/2009 8:54:23 PM PDT by icwhatudo
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Hollywood studio behind a film based on "The Hobbit" and trustees for author J.R.R. Tolkien's estate said on Tuesday they had settled a lawsuit that clears the way for what is expected to be a blockbuster movie based on the book.
"The Hobbit" is a 1937 book by Tolkien about a diminutive character named Bilbo Baggins who goes on a treasure-seeking adventure, and it sets the stage for Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, with its epic tale of magic and warfare.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I thought Zaentz sold all of his rights to New Line, presumably including a percentage of the profit. Anyone who gets a percentage of the Net Profits will usually not see a penny, if it is a percentage of the gross profits, cheating is more complicated.
I searched Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and Zaul Saentz on Wikipedia. That lead me to the findlaw_dot_com article. My understanding is that Tolkien Enterprises and the Tolkien Estate are both receiving royalties from the films from New Line. The Estate called New Line out on what they were due and that led to the settlement. Peter Jackson and his production company, and I think Tolkien Enterprises, also received settlements from New Line in earlier suits.
The Precious.
I pulled the audio from that and play it in the car for the kids. They love it and sing along!
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