ROTTEN TOMATOES: New Line Chief Really Dislikes Peter Jackson!

New Line Chief Really Dislikes Peter Jackson!

by Scott Weinberg | January 11, 2007

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Wow, things are getting a little nasty around that Peter Jackson / New Line / "The Hobbit" / lawsuit story. New Line Cinema chief Bob Shaye recently spoke pretty candidly regarding his feelings for the man who gave him the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Basically, Pete's not welcome around New Line anymore.

According to IGN Movies, here's what Shaye had to say about Peter Jackson: ""He got a quarter of a billion dollars paid to him so far, justifiably, according to contract, completely right, and this guy, who already has received a quarter of a billion dollars, turns around without wanting to have a discussion with us and sues us and refuses to discuss it unless we just give in to his plan. I don't want to work with that guy anymore. Why would I? So the answer is he will never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I'm still working for the company."

Wow, so does this mean Peter Jackson won't be directing stuff like "Son of the Mask" or "Dumb and Dumberer" anytime soon? Darn.

So what does this ultimately MEAN in relation to a movie version of "The Hobbit"? Well it seems like one of two things is bound to happen:

1. New Line, presently working against the clock as far as its right to the property goes, can go into production with a new director, writer ... and probably a bunch of new actors.

2. MGM and Saul Zaentz get the rights back if New Line doesn't make the movie in time, which means they'd probably get to make the movie with Jackson and whatever other studio wants to help bankroll the project.

Ugh, how'd this all get so complicated? Oh yeah, the accusation of unpaid debts and a nasty lawsuit. That's how.

Related Items

Movie:	The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy
	Son of the Mask
Celeb:	Peter Jackson
	Robert Shaye
	Saul Zaentz

(1-15 of 15 posts) | Reply

Typhoon20 writes:
on Jan 11 2007 04:32 AM

LOTR is all what new line cinema has, pay the man.
These production companies have endless money and still
b1tch about a couple mill. In the end NL gets billions of dollars for LOTR
while the cast and directors only get a little percentage of the total cash.
I won't critisize an actor or director for wanting more money, especially
when the production company makes 100x more on the movie then you.

(Reply to this)

the-russian writes:
on Jan 11 2007 05:33 AM

son of the mask, lol.

(Reply to this)

Ashron writes:
on Jan 11 2007 07:08 AM

Bob Shaye is going to be at Sundance this year. Maybe I should walk up and spit in his face. Nah, too mean. I'll just give him a dirty look.

(Reply to this)

Baccus83 writes:
on Jan 11 2007 07:47 AM

You know, I understand how things can get messy and uncomfortable when it comes to contract negotiations and lawsuits. But LOTR saved New Line. If I was the chief of New Line, I would give the man what he wants. People will follow him to the movies. Okay, maybe "King Kong" wasn't the masterpiece that people hoped, but it's not everyday somebody comes along who warrants comparisons to Spielberg and the greats.

Perhaps Mr. Jackson is being a little greedy, I don't know. I'm sure nobody except them really knows the half of it. But it sounds like New Line may be letting go of a good thing too soon. For my money, Mr. Jackson has earned his right to be greedy with New Line. They owe him a lot, period. They can't keep making Nightmare on Elm St movies forever.

(Reply to this)

nogard64 writes:
on Jan 11 2007 09:04 AM

yeah serious would new line even exsist right now if it wasn't for Pete? I dont even recall the last New Line movie I've seen, except for the LOTR movies. My fav new studio seems to be Lions Gate, they are very edgy and they seemed to want new ideas and new directions in films.

(Reply to this)

amamamy writes:
on Jan 11 2007 01:12 PM

[b]Bob Shaye is a scumbag[/b]
I worked for New Line for two years and I can tell you from personal experience that Bob Shaye is a scumbag (anyone who would not only NOT fire Mike DeLuca after that Christmas party blowjob fiasco (Does anyone remember that? I guess not.), but PROMOTE him!) and the studio execs rip off their productions left and right. I have absolutely no doubt that Peter Jackson was ripped off by these crooks. No doubt at all.

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Sputnik99 writes:
on Jan 11 2007 01:31 PM

[b]Devil's advocate[/b]
Jackson is being greedy. He has all this fame and money and power and he wants the money for one big reason: If he gets it, it also means he is in charge of New Line, and Shaye is his slave who will do whatever he wants.

Jackson wants the money because that means he gets the power. I totally see why Shaye is resisting him. I would.

(Reply to this)

jeremyf1977 writes:
on Jan 11 2007 02:32 PM

Vince didn't screw Bret......Bret screwed B.........Oh right..........I mean Peter screwed Peter.

(Reply to this)

Scito writes:
on Jan 11 2007 04:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#852731)
Why shouldn't he want to be more powerful than New Line? They're only there to provide the movie with one thing: money. In Hollywood, the producers own the actors, directors, musicians, scripts, etc. In a perfect world, the talent manipulates and directs the funds; not the other way around.

(Reply to this)

hinduchocolate writes:
on Jan 11 2007 06:16 PM

Guys, come off it...peter jackson is getting "screwed"? Dudes, the guy supposedly raked in 250 million dollars if you read the article...explain to me how one is screwed if he makes a quarter of a billion dollars?

And not to say that i know much about new line, but like, it is not completely absurd to dislike someone who is suing you for millions of dollars...This is not going to be popular, but jackson is pulling a complete T.O. move right here, he's holding the company hostage and they're not gonna take it, much like the Eagles did with T.O....

That said, love his movies, wish he would return, but whatever it's a business!

(Reply to this)

phill01 writes:
on Jan 11 2007 06:52 PM

Peter Jackson should get the cash owed to him.

If he is sueing for above and beyond what he originally singed for then thats a different story

Its not the job of the CEO to decide if or when Peter Jackson has got to much money and sure 250 million is a shit load of cash but if i were him i would settle the debt and sign him up to a 10 picture deal ASAP

(Reply to this)

Vauba Haoly writes:
on Jan 11 2007 08:59 PM

Neither are getting screwed. Both will have made a lot of money regardless of the lawsuit. I can see how it would be upsetting for either party to be upset with the other for being screwed over by the other anyway.

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Praz writes:
on Jan 12 2007 11:53 AM

It's funny that Shaye never addresses whether or not Peter Jackson received the amount he was due, or what Jackson's "plan" is. Does New Line still owe Jackson more money? Is his plan unreasonable, or is it a perfectly normal procedure? Yea, the guy sounds really unprofessional.

(Reply to this)

sweetbwaoy writes:
on Aug 23 2007 09:07 AM

In reply to this comment (#852734)
Duh...If I owe you 350 million dollars and I only pay you 250 million dollars. I just screwed you.

Especially if the 250 million you got paid came out of something else that had nothing to do with me and you and I pocketed the 100 million hoping you wouldn't mind because you were so "grateful" to have the first 250.

(Reply to this)

sweetbwaoy writes:
on Aug 23 2007 09:08 AM

In reply to this comment (#852734)
Duh...If I owe you 350 million dollars and I only pay you 250 million dollars. I just screwed you.

Especially if the 250 million you got paid came out of something else that had nothing to do with me and you and I pocketed the 100 million hoping you wouldn't mind because you were so "grateful" to have the first 250.

(Reply to this)