The Tolkien Trust Sues New Line
Seems that New Line made around $6 billion (that's Billion - with a "B") on the LOTR movies but has failed to pay the Tolkien Estate a single cent in contractually agreed upon royalties. An initial royalty payment of $62,500 was paid to allow production of the movies to begin. The Trust have not received a cent since.
"The Tolkien Trust is a UK registered charity that has made grants to charitable causes all over the world totaling over $8 million in the last five years alone."
New Line has failed to honor their contractual commitments to all parties in the LOTR production. They failed to make good their royalty payments to Saul Zaentz (who owned the film rights, remember that crappy animated LOTR from the 70's?), failed to pay Peter Jackson (who only got them to pay-up after both suing and refusing to direct "The Hobbit" unless they did), and now the estate of the original literary genius that created this work to begin with and whose rights are held in trust by a charitable organization. Now New Line is ripping off a charitable organization!
Three words: SICK FRACKIN' BASTARDS!
Wonder why I hold the greed and arrogance of the entertainment industry in such disdain?
