Lawsuits Put 'Watchmen' & 'Hobbit' Films in Jeopardy

Two unrelated lawsuits filed this week could bring an end to Warner Bros.' upcoming Watchmen film, as well as to the two planned Hobbit movies from New Line Cinema.

The J.J.R. Tolkien estate is suing New Line Cinema, stating that the studio failed to pay part of the profits from its hugely succesfully Lord of the Rings film trilogy, while Fox is suing Warner Bros. over the rights to the Watchmen movie, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...continue reading this article at Geeks of Doom!

Peter Jackson to Produce Two 'Hobbit' Films

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, the masterminds behind the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, will produce two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale The Hobbit, according to a press release issued today jointly by Jackson and the heads of MGM and New Line studios.

The two Hobbit films -- The Hobbit and its sequel -- are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning as soon as possible. Principal photography is tentatively set for a 2009 start, with the intention of The Hobbit release slated for 2010 and its sequel the following year, in 2011.

Additionally, the announcement stated that Jackson's lawsuit against New Line over Rings accounting practices has been settled...continue reading this article at Geeks of Doom!