ROTTEN TOMATOES: New Line Cinema Calls It Quits

New Line Cinema Calls It Quits

Studio to fold into Warner Bros as CEOs depart.

by Jen Yamato | February 28, 2008

It was announced today that Golden Compass studio New Line Cinema will be consolidated into Warner Bros., with heads Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne leaving the company.

New Line will continue to produce, market, and distribute films, but will do so in a reduced capacity and as part of the Warner Bros. studio. Production-wise, New Line will focus on genre films and utilize the distribution systems of its sister company.

Industry watcher Nikki Finke had been forecasting trouble at New Line as Shaye and Lynne's contracts with parent company Time Warner approached expiration. After producing the record-breaking Lord of the Rings trilogy, the franchise that lent New Line prestige and launched it as a major film studio, a string of recent under-performing projects (The Last Mimzy, directed by Shaye himself, and The Golden Compass) weakened the studio's stock.

New Line's costly legal battles with LOTR director Peter Jackson, recently settled, and the lawsuit lobbied against them by the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, likely exacerbated the situation for New Line.

From the official press release:

"New Line's Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne have elected to leave the studio, but are in discussions about possible future business relationships with the company.

Mr. Bewkes said: 'Bob and Michael have a unique partnership that is noteworthy not only for its stability and longevity, but for its record of innovation and success. They have guided New Line's growth from a privately held art film distributor to the world's leading independent film studio that is home to some of the most popular films in entertainment history, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Mask, Austin Powers, Blade, Rush Hour, Elf, Wedding Crashers and Hairspray. We thank Bob and Michael for their enduring contributions to Time Warner and look forward to a continuing working relationship with them.'

Mr. Shaye and Mr. Lynne said: 'New Line has been our respective life's work as well as our second family. While we're sad to be leaving, we're enormously proud to have overseen its extraordinary growth and worked with so many dedicated and talented colleagues. New Line represents innovation, creativity, and independent success. We hope that the company can continue to be a leader in creating entertainment that resonates around the world. We will now focus our efforts on exploring new entrepreneurial opportunities.'"

Founded 40 years ago by Shaye and Lynne, the company grew from independent beginnings and was the home of films like John Waters' Pink Flamingos and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This week New Line is releasing the Will Ferrell basketball comedy Semi-Pro.

Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily

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	Michael Lynne

(1-20 of 37 posts) | Reply

AquaFina writes:
on Feb 28 2008 05:56 PM

Wow...weird.

(Reply to this)

John Z. Delorean writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:05 PM

4 real..they've put out some big money flicks.

(Reply to this)

islandhome writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:06 PM

damn the house that freedy built is just a fading dream

(Reply to this)

islandhome writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:10 PM

um freddy

(Reply to this)

IMAmoose24 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 07:29 PM

I'm suprised, and sad at the same time. I know it won't really effect upcoming films, but i always liked seeing the new line movie logo before rush hour and such. I loved it before lord of the rings. The dramatic logo would set in with the dramatic music and show that new line logo, all dark. I know it sounds lame, but i liked it. So long New Line.

(Reply to this)

deneco4 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 07:32 PM

Golden Compass sucked.

(Reply to this)

baufan2005 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:11 PM

Peter Jackson's money grubbing killed it.

(Reply to this)

Shompy writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:20 PM

baufan please kill yourself

thats the most retarded comment i've seen on the internet in a while.

(Reply to this)

mofojoe85 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:20 PM

In reply to this comment (#1608246)
actually, new line's money grubbing killed it. Can't trust that creative hollywood accounting.

(Reply to this)

Bulletproof_Animal writes:
on Feb 29 2008 12:45 AM

The Studio that tired to change Se7en's ending may burn, baby, burn. In the words of Nelson Muntz: "HAW-HAW"

(Reply to this)

renny2077 writes:
on Feb 29 2008 01:36 AM

So what happens to the Lord of the Rings movie rights now?

(Reply to this)

Coyote22 writes:
on Feb 29 2008 03:53 AM

I'm no lawyer but I'm sure the rights to LOTR will now be with Warner Bros. as New Line is absorbed into that studio.

(Reply to this)

Spiderbash writes:
on Feb 29 2008 04:22 AM

Well this sucks.

(Reply to this)

Bruce Campbell writes:
on Feb 29 2008 04:58 AM

Bye bye Freddy and Jason.

Countless deaths coundn't kill them... But New Lince could.

(Reply to this)

Elixor writes:
on Feb 29 2008 05:49 AM

Why is Elf listed as a popular film?

I can't believe that this will kill the new Freddy movie plans (although maybe it should).

(Reply to this)

Shatter24 writes:
on Feb 29 2008 07:10 AM

New Line stuck a finger up (Bob Shaye especially) at Peter Jackson and didn't appreciate the HUGE success his LOTR gave that studio and now look who's left standing when the dust clears. If New Line had a better relationship w/ Jackson, a better accounting department, and a little more discretion w/ what they chose to release for movies, maybe they wouldn't have screwed themselves. This is a case of studio heads shooting themselves in the foot.

(Reply to this)

drtruebl writes:
on Feb 29 2008 08:15 AM

In reply to this comment (#1608481)
Because it made >200 million worldwide.

(Reply to this)

Elixor writes:
on Feb 29 2008 08:29 AM

In reply to this comment (#1608656)
Yikes! Another reason why box office numbers are a sad, sad thing.

(Reply to this)

bigbrother writes:
on Feb 29 2008 09:11 AM

In reply to this comment (#1608663)
meh, it's a cute holiday movie that kids loved. Hardcore jaded movie nerds like us weren't really the target audience. Plus like it or not Will Farrell has a pretty dedicated fanbase all his own.

(Reply to this)

vaodsi writes:
on Feb 29 2008 10:33 AM

Dude..... Elixor! New icon? i didn't recognize you!

anyway..... To bad this didn't happen a year or two ago, back when such a decision would have promised a speedy deal with Jackson to direct the Hobbit and a 2009 release date.

(Reply to this)