Hobbit film could be jeopardized by Tolkien heirs’ lawsuit

JRR Tolkien

Xan Brooks – guardian.co.uk

• Family of Lord of the Rings author claim $220m in compensation for unpaid profits from the trilogy
• Suit also seeks option to terminate further film rights, including for Guillermo del Toro’s Hobbit project

Guillermo del Toro’s film version of The Hobbit could be killed off in a pending battle between a Hollywood giant and the family of the book’s author, JRR Tolkien. The heirs to the Tolkien estate are suing New Line Cinema, the studio behind the Lord of the Rings adaptations, claiming $220m (£133m) in compensation for undistributed profits from the films. For good measure, they are also demanding the option to terminate further film rights to Tolkien’s work, citing breach of contract.

“Should the case go all the way to trial, we are confident that New Line will lose its rights to The Hobbit,” said Bonnie Eskenazi, the lawyer working for the author’s son, Christopher, and the family’s charity, the Tolkien Trust. The case – officially billed as Christopher Reuel Tolkien v New Line Cinema Corp – is due to be heard at Los Angeles superior court in October.

JRR Tolkien sold the film rights to the trilogy in 1969 for an upfront fee of £250,000 and a reported 7.5% of future profits. Released between 2001 and 2003, the Lord of the Rings trilogy went on to earn upwards of $6bn in theatrical and DVD sales. However, the Tolkien estate claims it has yet to receive any payment from New Line or its parent company, Time Warner. For their part, lawyers acting for New Line argue that terms of the original contract are “ambiguous”.

The studio has grown accustomed to fighting legal battles in the wake of The Lord of the Rings’ success. In 2005 director Peter Jackson sued New Line for a share of the profits, eventually settling for an undisclosed sum in 2007. The film-maker Saul Zaentz, previous owner of the rights to Tolkien’s work, settled for a reported $168m in 2005.

The Hobbit is currently in pre-production in New Zealand, with a release date set for 2011. Tolkien’s tale of an intrepid hobbit who sets off in search of dragon treasure will be divided into two pictures, directed by Del Toro and executive produced by Jackson.

 

Wadlow out of ‘Tomb,’ into ‘Arena’

Jeff Wadlow

By Jay A. Fernandez  -The Hollywood Reporter

Director jumps from one Summit project to another

Jeff Wadlow and Summit Entertainment remain in business together, but they’ve chosen a different project.
Wadlow has come on to direct “Arena,” a sci-fi action film that he began developing with Summit a few months ago.
The director, who helmed the 2008 release “Never Back Down” for the studio, had been working on the prison-escape action project “The Tomb” for Summit. When that project stalled, Summit exercised an option on the helmer’s services and moved him to “Arena.”
“Arena” revolves around a group of modern-day soldiers transported to a shifting landscape, where they are forced to face off against the best warriors from different eras in gladitorial battle. Frosh scribes Toby Wagstaff and Darren Howell wrote the screenplay, which Summit optioned in April 2008.
Chris Bender and J.C. Spink of BenderSpink and Jim Thompson of Original Content are producing along with Alex Franklin and Jonah Loop of Pangea Pictures. Summit’s Erik Feig and Geoff Shaevitz are overseeing.
Summit recently released “Twilight,” “Push,” “Knowing” and “Next Day Air.” It has the “Twilight” sequel, “New Moon,” in production for a November release.
The WME-repped Wadlow also co-wrote and directed “Cry Wolf.”

Crowe considering new Master and Commander movie

Russell Crowe in Master and Commander

Russell Crowe is in the early stages of negotiations to reprise the role of Jack Aubrey as a British sea captain in a new movie version from the Master & Commander series of novels.

Crowe told The Associated Press on Friday that a script based mostly on the eleventh novel of Patrick O’Brian’s 20-novel series, The Reverse of the Medal, had been written, but that discussions were at a very early stage.

“There’s still a long way to go,” the New Zealand-born actor told AP at a cricket match between England and Australia in London. He said talks had been taking place with the owner of the rights to the novels.

The 44-year-old Crowe, who won a best actor Oscar for his starring role in Gladiator, is a keen cricket fan. His two cousins, Jeff and Martin, are former captains of the New Zealand national team. Jeff is now a senior cricket official and is in charge of the team of officials at the England-Australia match.

The AubreyMaturin novels consists of 20 books and one partly written before his death in 2000 by O’Brian, all set during the Napoleonic Wars.

The 2003 movie Master and Commander took material from several of the novels. The Reverse of the Medal, published in 1986, sees Aubrey in the Caribbean in his ship HMS Surprise, where he meets his illegitimate son Samuel Panda, a Catholic priest born from an illicit liaison.

Crowe gave no indication of when filming could start but said it was one of a number of projects he is considering.

Pete Jackson talks Bilbo Baggins casting

Helen O’Hara – EmpireOnline.com

It has been rumored that the casting of Bilbo Baggins for The Hobbit may be announced at Comic-Con next week. Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy and David Tennant are all rumored to be in the running for the role – but according to what Peter Jackson told us when we spoke to him recently, the fans shouldn’t be holding their breath for a ‘Con announcement.

   “No, we won’t be announcing Bilbo for a little while,” he said when we asked about a Comic-Con announcement. “We’re starting to think about casting, but we’re knee-deep in the script right now. And when we do go to actors, they’re probably going to ask to see a script, so we’re powering ahead with getting the first draft done.”

   We also asked him what he’s planning to do next after The Lovely Bones, but he’s not yet sure. “I haven’t yet decided what I’ll be directing after that. At the moment we’re concentrating on writing a couple of little movies with Guillermo [Del Toro]. A couple of small films! (Laughs) And that’s going to take us another few months of writing to do.

“But we are developing a couple of projects which are potentially films that I’d direct for next year. Temeraire is still on the cards. But those are really taking a second place at the moment…”

   Temeraire, of course, is his mooted adaptation of Naomi Novik’s fantasy-lit saga, in which French and English forces wage the Napoleonic wars with enormous battle-dragons. A heady blend of sea battles and bloody big monsters, we reckon it would be a perfect fit for the Lord Of The Rings director. 

First Official Image of Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince of Persia

Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince of Persia

Mark Gorelord – GoreMaster.com News

   The official working title is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and it’s slated for a May 2010 release.

  The story,set in medieval Persia, follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. The prince was tricked by a dying Vizier to unleash the Sands of Time and it turns out to destroy the kingdom and transforms its populace into ferocious demons. In his effort to save his own kingdom and redeem his fatal mistake, it’s up to the prince and the princess to return the sands to the hourglass by using the Dagger of Time, which also gives him a limited control over the flow of time.

  The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina.

Twilight movie ‘Eclipse’ has its first new casting

                                                  Xavier Samuel

Steven Zeitchik – RiskyBusinessBlog.com

   Google might want to brace for a search onslaught: An unknown Australian actor named Xavier Samuel has landed the first new role in “Eclipse,” the third “Twilight” pic.
   Summit has hired the actor to play the role of a “newborn vampire” named Riley, a good-looking college student who joins the plot of villain Victoria to murder protagonist Bella (Kristen Stewart). Riley is corrupted by Victoria, for whom he has an inexplicable weakness. 

   The movie’s larger plot centers on a choice Bella must make between the werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and the vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson).
   Samuel, repped by Management 360, Gersh and Shanahan in Australia, has been in series of films down under, including “Newcastle,” in which he played a Goth teenager amidst  a group of surfers (the movie played Tribeca last year — though you can bet Netflix will see just a small spike now), the Aussie period drama “September” and the upcoming sci-fi thriller “Road Train.” This marks his first U.S. role.

Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)

“Eclipse,” the third book in Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster series, is set to begin shooting next month in Vancouver and be released on June 30. David Slade (“30 Days of Night”") is directing from a screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg.

   The Twilight franchise will become the center of the fan universe at Comic-Con  when the stars of the second pic — the Chris Weitz-directed “New Moon” — appear, new material is unveiled and the crowd goes wild. The Samuel family is probably about to see a little frenzy itself.

 

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The Emmy Nominees for Outstanding Makeup and Effects announced

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations

Source: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences…July 16, 2009

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards this morning. The awards will be presented on September 20 and the show, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on CBS.

 Here are the nominees for the Makeup Categories:

 

Outstanding Makeup For A Miniseries Or A Movie (Non-Prosthetic)

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story · TNT · Sony Pictures Television, Thomasfilm and The Hatchery LLC, Angie Wells, Department Head Makeup Artist , Wynona Price, Key Makeup Artist

Grey Gardens · HBO · Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films Linda Dowds, Department Head Makeup Artist Susan Hayward, Key Makeup Artist Vivian Baker, Personal Makeup Artist

Maneater · Lifetime · Sony Pictures Television Kathrine James-Gibson, Department Head Makeup Artist Loretta James-Demasi, Key Makeup Artist Melanie Hughes Weaver, Personal Makeup Artist

The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation) · CBS · Jeff Most/Jeff Rice Productions in association with Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions Trefor Proud, Department Head Makeup Artist

                            ………………………………………………………………

Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic)

Dancing With The Stars · Episode 804 · ABC · BBC Worldwide Productions Melanie Mills, Department Head Makeup Artist Zena Shteysel, Key Makeup Artist Patti Ramsey-Bortoli, Additional Makeup Artist Angela Moos, Additional Makeup Artist

MADtv · Episode 1405 · FOX · Girl Group Company Jennifer Aspinall, Department Head Makeup Artist Alexei O’Brien, Additional Makeup Artist David Williams, Additional Makeup Artist Heather Mages, Additional Makeup Artist

Saturday Night Live · NBC · SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video Louie Zakarian, Department Head Makeup Artist Josh Turi, Makeup Artist Amy Tagliamonti, Makeup Artist

So You Think You Can Dance · Episode #421/422A · FOX · Dick Clark Productions and 19 Entertainment Amy Elizabeth Strozzi, Department Head Makeup Artist Heather Cummings, Key Makeup Artist Tifanie White, Additional Makeup Artist Marie DelPrete, Additional Makeup Artist

                           …………………………………..

Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)

Grey’s Anatomy · Dream A Little Dream Of Me, Part 1 and Part 2 · ABC · ABC Studios Norman T. Leavitt, Department Head Makeup Artist Brigitte Bugayong, Key Makeup Artist Michelle Teleis, Additional Makeup Artist

Little Britain USA · 106 · HBO · 19 Entertainment/MBST Entertainment Limited in association with HBO Entertainment John E. Jackson, Department Head Makeup Artist Chris Burgoyne, Makeup Artist Matthew Mungle, Makeup Artist

Mad Men · The Jet Set · AMC · Lionsgate Television Debbie Zoller, Department Head Makeup Artist Denise DellaValle, Key Makeup Artist Ron Pipes, Additional Makeup Artist Debra Schrey, Additional Makeup Artist

Nip/Tuck · Gisele Baylock And Legend · FX Networks · The Shepard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Productions, Inc. Eryn Krueger Mekash, Department Head Makeup Artist Stephanie Fowler, Key Makeup Artist

Pushing Daisies · Dim Sum Lose Some · ABC · Living Dead Guy Productions, The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Todd A. McIntosh, Department Head Makeup Artist David Martin DeLeon, Key Makeup Artist Steven Anderson, Additional Makeup Artist

                             …………………………………………………………..

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation · A Space Oddity · CBS · A CBS Paramount Network Television production in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television Matthew Mungle, Prosthetic Designer, Special Makeup Effects Artist Clinton Wayne, Special Makeup Effects Artist Melanie Levitt, Department Head Makeup Artist Tom Hoerber, Key Makeup Artist

Grey Gardens · HBO · Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films Vivian Baker, Special Makeup Effects Department Head Linda Dowds, Department Head Makeup Artist Bill Corso, Prosthetic Designer Sean Samson, Special Makeup Effects Artist

Grey’s Anatomy · Stand By Me · ABC · ABC Studios Norman T. Leavitt, Department Head Makeup Artist Bari Dreiband-Burman, Special Makeup Effects Artist Thomas Burman, Prosthetic Designer Vincent Van Dyke, Prosthetic Designer

Little Britain USA · 105 · HBO · 19 Entertainment/MBST Entertainment Limited in association with HBO Entertainment John E. Jackson, Special Makeup Effects Department Head Matthew W. Mungle, Prosthetic Designer/ Special Makeup Effects Artist Chris Burgoyne, Makeup Artist

Nip/Tuck · Budi Sabri · FX Networks · The Shepard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Productions, Inc. Bari Dreiband-Burman, Special Makeup Effects Artist Thomas R. Burman, Prosthetic Designer Dave Dupuis, Special Makeup Effects Artist

Tracey Ullman’s State Of The Union · Episode 205 · Showtime · Showtime Presents in association with Allan McKeown Presents, LLC Matthew Mungle, Prosthetic Designer/ Special Makeup Effects Department Head Sally Sutton Craven, Department Head Makeup Artist Kate Shorter, Additional Makeup Artist