New Line No More

[Corwin]

New Line has been folded into Warner Bros and while it will retain it's identity it is no longer a seperate studio.

https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981598.html?categoryId=13&cs=1

Exactly what this means for "The Hobbit" film(s) is unclear as yet.

Does the Tolkien Trust now have to sue Warner Bros since New Line no longer exists as a company?

New Line will still make films under their name but will The Hobbit be one of them or will the production be passed to Warner Bros?

 

[Wetanut]

Well....kinda saw the writing on the wall. What ELSE will hold up Hobbit?

 

[Darklord Dave]

It's like films that come from Sony but are labeled Columbia or Screen Gems. It won't effect any lawsuits - WB is fully responsible for any debts incurred by New Line.

Not having Bob Shaye around could be a benefit, but then again, LotR was his baby and he did a pretty good job shepherding it through.

They say that a lot of the divisions will remain independent - but that probably won't last very long.

 

[Mesa]

I have to wonder if this was a legal strategic move, sort of like declaring bankruptcy and "washing away" all your previous financial responsibliities.


Edit: Oh yeah, good riddance

 

[Lembas Eater]

Not having Bob Shaye around could be a benefit, but then again, LotR was his baby and he did a pretty good job shepherding it through.

True. When things were getting ugly between NL and PJ, Shaye was getting painted quite easily as the Bad Guy, but we all owe a debt to him for the greenlight on LOTR, including the idea of three films instead of two. Its going to be a strange ride without him and Michael Lynne.

 

[Darth Caedus]

So this is new line's big fix to not pay royalties to the owner of the LoTR rights. That's very creative of them I must say. I was expecting some creative accounting to show that LoTR didn't make a profit, but this is unexpected

 

[crazytrain]

I'm no legal expert, but as far as I know, when a company takes over another it takes on all its debts etc as well as its assets, so this won't prevent the Tolkien estate from pursuing their claim...

 

[gideon]

Crazytrain is correct - Warners as the parent company is legally responsible for the debts of NL.
Its amazing to me how Bob Shaye can go from a visionary hero who made the one decision that really helped make the films with his "why not make three films then" question to Jackson. He was on top of the film world with all that revenue, critical acclaim and industry awards by the boatload. Then he went from that status to being a modern day leper in the industry.

Gordon Gekko was wrong. Greed is not good.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Just read something this morning that New Line will be doing 'horror, comedy and urban flicks." So they're demoting New Line to the B-movie label, just like Screen Gems is for Sony. This can't be good for The Hobbit.

 

[pixletwin]

Just read something this morning that New Line will be doing 'horror, comedy and urban flicks." So they're demoting New Line to the B-movie label, just like Screen Gems is for Sony. This can't be good for The Hobbit.

I don't see how that much has changed. I am sure whatever the circumstances were that lead up to New Lines fall from grace have been known to WB for some time (even before the hobbit announcement) and I image WB has plans.

I am not too worried.

 

[RoboDad]

Not having Bob Shaye around could be a benefit, but then again, LotR was his baby and he did a pretty good job shepherding it through.

This is the only significant part of the change that worries me. If this "absorption" had happened ten years ago, we might never have seen the LOTR films.

I hope that Warner still views The Hobbit as a priority project, but only time will tell, I guess.

 

[pixletwin]

This is the only significant part of the change that worries me. If this "absorption" had happened ten years ago, we might never have seen the LOTR films.

I hope that Warner still views The Hobbit as a priority project, but only time will tell, I guess.

How could they not view it as such? The Hobbit was a cash cow before and it is still a cash cow now.

I think the only difference that fans will notice is that when The Hobbit is released instead of the New Line logo at the begining we will see a flying WB (ala Harry Potter).

 

[Kookie]

There is a silver lining to this story. Variety is reporting that The Hobbit will continue as scheduled but will be released in 2011 & 2012 as Harry Potter is winding down in 2010. WB is eager for another franchise to follow after HP. Having The Hobbit pushed back 1 year could possible allow Peter Jackson to direct.

 

[gideon]

That would be a great development. Jackson at the helm again is probably what both the studio heads and the fans want.

 

[Protozaius]

How could they not view it as such? The Hobbit was a cash cow before and it is still a cash cow now.

I think the only difference that fans will notice is that when The Hobbit is released instead of the New Line logo at the begining we will see a flying WB (ala Harry Potter).

Funny, the same flying WB will be on the Star Wars Clone Wars series.

Could WB now be the biggest studio with the Harry Potter, Star Wars, LOTR and Batman franchises under their tent?

 

[pixletwin]

That would be a great development. Jackson at the helm again is probably what both the studio heads and the fans want.

Then Del Toro will be like "********, why the ******** did I bother to read these books for??!!!??"

 

[The Ringer]

Epleterte sends us the snippet from Variety’s article ‘Warner Bros. gobbles up New Line’: “The Hobbit” has Guillermo Del Toro in talks to direct, and the picture will be unaffected by the ouster of Shaye and Lynne. Though the films won’t be scripted until a director is hired, and Jackson wraps “The Lovely Bones,” the expectation is that the films will be ready for release for Christmas 2011 and 2012. Harry Potter will have wound down at WB by then, and the corporation will surely welcome another fantasy franchise that has an eager global audience waiting. New Line will distribute domestically, while MGM has international rights.

From TORN

 

[FrodoEyes]

Hmm, I see things coming together.no more Shaye, thus no opposition to PJ directing the films. Maybe Del Toro could still be involved, as a second director? Like LOTR, they will need 2 or 3 to cover all the work!

 

[Red]

Hmm, I see things coming together.no more Shaye, thus no opposition to PJ directing the films. Maybe Del Toro could still be involved, as a second director? Like LOTR, they will need 2 or 3 to cover all the work!

Thats the way i would like it to play out with PJ at the helm and Del Toro there as a support.
The old hand with the one ring doing what he does best and the new man bringing in some fresh and different ideas.Sounds promising

 

[Corwin]

Hmm, I see things coming together.no more Shaye, thus no opposition to PJ directing the films. Maybe Del Toro could still be involved, as a second director? Like LOTR, they will need 2 or 3 to cover all the work!

They could have Del Toro being Director on The Hobbit and PJ Director on the "LotR Prequel".

Note that the Variety article gives possible release dates a year behind what was initially announced. That could be down to the Writers strike more than anything else though.