It looks like Peter Jackson won’t be making The Hobbit after all. In a letter to LOTR fansite The One Ring, the director and his partner Fran Walsh explain their situation:
Dear One Ringers,
As you know, there’s been a lot of speculation about The Hobbit. We are often asked about when or if this film will ever be made. We have always responded that we would be very interested in making the film - if it were offered to us to make.
You may also be aware that Wingnut Films has bought a lawsuit against New Line, which resulted from an audit we undertook on part of the income of The Fellowship of the Ring. Our attitude with the lawsuit has always been that since it’s largely based on differences of opinion about certain accounting practices, we would like an independent body - whether it be a judge, a jury, or a mediator, to look at the issues and make an unbiased ruling. We are happy to accept whatever that ruling is. In our minds, it’s not much more complex than that and that’s exactly why film contracts include right-to-audit clauses.
However, we have always said that we do not want to discuss The Hobbit with New Line until the lawsuit over New Line’s accounting practices is resolved. This is simple common sense - you cannot be in a relationship with a film studio, making a complex, expensive movie and dealing with all the pressures and responsibilities that come with the job, while an unresolved lawsuit exists.
[Continued...]
To read the rest of the letter in full go to The One Ring.
Happy Feet just wins the battle against Casino Royale at the US box office according to Variety:
A cadre of singing and dancing penguins beat out the monkey-suited international superspy James Bond at the B.O. this weekend, as Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow’s CG-animated “Happy Feet” skipped to No. 1 with $42.3 million thanks to a particularly strong Saturday run. Â
Meanwhile the trade paper also reports that Casino Royale is doing very good business around the world:
James Bond returned with a bang at the international box office as “Casino Royale” dominated the weekend with $42.2 million at 3,063 playdates in 27 markets.
“Casino” hit the jackpot in its U.K. launch with $25.6 million at 988, including $3.7 million in previews. Its Friday-Sunday take tied “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” as the second-highest weekend launch in Brit history, trailing only “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”
With Daniel Craig in his first turn as Bond, the Blighty opening handily topped the previous Bond pic, “Die Another Day,” by 46%.
“Casino Royale” took in more than the combined foreign grosses of the next four pics — “Borat,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Open Season.” Combined with its second-place domestic take, “Casino” totaled $82.8 million worldwide for the weekend.
It looks like the penguins will just beat Bond at the US Box Office this weekend. Variety reports:
The first big battle of the holiday season ended with a cadre of penguins beating out James Bond. Warner Bros.’ CG-animated “Happy Feet” landed at No. 1 with $42.3 million off 3,804, while Sony/MGM’s latest Bond pic, “Casino Royale,” nabbed just over $40 million.
“Feet” was playing on over 3,800 screens, while Bond occupied about 370 less.
It is a Bond special this week as we look at the latest movie Casino Royale. We speak to the key members of the cast and crew who brought the film to the big screen. Daniel Craig is the new 007 and he discusses his role as the world’s most famous spy and the media frenzy that surrounded him getting the role.
Eva Green tells us how she got cast as Vesper Lynd and Italian actress Caterina Murino explains her role as Bond’s other love interest in the film. Director Martin Campbell describes why the franchise had to be updated and former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell tells us how he came to compose the song for the film.
Plus, we take our usual look at the latest DVD releases, which this week includes the Pixar animated tale Cars and Seinfeld: Season 7.
Our website of the week is the excellent Bond fansite MI6.
James Bond appears to have won over one of his toughest adversaries yet - China’s film censor. The Film Board has passed 007’s latest outing “Casino Royale” for release in China - the first time Ian Fleming’s master spy has been seen in Chinese cinemas.
Pic will screen on January 30th, according to Sony Pictures in China.
“We are extremely pleased that the film has passed and expect it to be one of the highest grossing films next year in China,” said Li Chow, Sony Pictures’ general manager in China.
Chinese auds are familiar with 007 through pirated copies, but none of the earlier films in the franchise have had a bigscreen release and getting approval for the pic marks a major success for Sony in China.
007’s “license to kill” maverick attitude, violence and sexual peccadilloes are anathema to the kinds of values China embraces in its pics. His penchant for espionage in other jurisdictions or “third countries” has meant he has failed to make it past the censors until now.
But although it is a breakthrough for the spy franchise, the theatrical release date (a full 3 months after its release in most territories) makes me wonder - will 007’s next mission involve stopping an evil mastermind who profits from bootleg DVDs?
