Hobbit Lawsuit

[Nolder]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/11/news/companies/the-hobbit-movie-lawsuit/index.html?source=cnn_bin

 

What do you guys think?

Personally I think WB owes Mirimax money for the second and third films.

It may or may not have been explicitly stated but the general idea of the agreement is that Mirimax would sell the rights to the story for a portion of the profits. It doesn't seem fair at all that WB decided to do three movies and cut Mirimax out of 2/3 of the profit.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I'm not clear from the story whether the language of the contract is misleading or not.

 

if they signed a deal that said first hobbit movie they had a dumb.

 

if they signed a contract that said something more like the filming of the hobbit... seems like it'd already have been thrown out.

 

I suss they had a dumb.

[Aidanna]

It looks to me like they signed a contract for a movie - one - based on the Hobbit. They did get paid for one.

 

If they are suing because the movie was split in thirds, they probably have to prove, that they should still get portions of that, even though the contract stated a single movie...

 

We should ask GoldeneyesND - he is a lawyer in RL...

[Nolder]

Oh I have no doubt the language of the deal says something that indicates payment for only one movie.

My gripe is the fact that it was made with the mutual understanding that Mirimax is to be payed essentially for giving WB the story.

WB is making three films but only giving Mirimax 1/3 of the profit. It may be technically correct on paper but it is ethically wrong because I think WB knows full well they are screwing Mirimax over a technicality and not following the spirit of the deal.

[SinisterDeath]

If they signed a contract, to write a script for a movie, but then some producer/director decides to take that script, and split it into 3 parts...

 

Then by definition, it doesn't matter If they used their script and they then they should have to pay them for using said script...

 

But, as mentioned this all comes down to the legal-jargon in said contract..

[wotfan4472]

We will have to wait for this to play out I am afraid. I do however believe that it was WB whom split the story into three, and did so after buying the rights. If Miramax signed a contract for payment of the first film, which it was then paid for, well, it is Miramax's own fault for the situation it is in. They have no right to tell another studio how to make films. Those decisions were made by WB, which at the end of the day is their right to do. With this in mind, then Miramax trying to claim for these two films is nothing more than greed and envy that they did not think of it themselves, and is nothing more than sour grapes.