New Line Cinema

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New Line Cinema Plans 'Fresh Take' on Wizard of Oz

'Watchmen' director Nicole Kassell is on board

(Newser) - Are we off to see the wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz—again? New Line Cinema is making a new adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum children’s novel, with Nicole Kassell, the visual architect of Watchmen, set to direct. Baum's 1900 novel, now in...

'Craziest OkCupid Date Ever' Will Be a Movie
'Craziest OkCupid Date Ever' Will Be a Movie
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'Craziest OkCupid Date Ever' Will Be a Movie

Forget coffee on the first date; this couple traveled to 8 countries in 21 days

(Newser) - When a reclusive writer and gregarious professor planned their first date via OkCupid, they decided to take an unorthodox route. Instead of meeting for coffee, they spent a total of 10 minutes between them packing a few items (the professor using only his pockets, the writer filling a small purse)...

Weinsteins Sue Warner Bros Over 3-Part Hobbit Film

They say it was a plot to deprive them of money

(Newser) - If you thought you were annoyed when you heard Warner Bros. was turning a 300-page children's book into three epic movies, well, you're probably not quite as annoyed as the Weinstein brothers. In fact, Bob and Harvey are suing Warner over the decision to make three Hobbit movies,...

Anna Faris Will Be New Private Benjamin

New Line Cinema remaking the 1980 comedy

(Newser) - Funny girl Anna Faris will try her hand at reviving a big-name comedy: She'll star in the remake of Private Benjamin, the movie that made Goldie Hawn a star in 1980 and earned her an Oscar nomination. The movie, about a spoiled rich widow duped into joining the Army, will...

Puck Pugilist's Vogue Gig Is Film Fodder

Tough guy/fashionista Avery's stint at style mag generates romantic comedy

(Newser) - New Line Cinema will produce a romantic comedy based on hockey star Sean Avery’s summer internship at Vogue, the Hollywood Reporter notes. “I think it's great to be into something that you care about,” the fashion-savvy Avery said of his apparently odd choice of off-season employment. “...

This Season's Hot Accessory: The Movie Tie-In

Sex and the City cottage industries look more like penthouses

(Newser) - For the innumerable entities cashing in on Sex and the City, the movie due out Friday is the tip of the multimillion-dollar iceberg, reports Forbes. New Line Cinema, which has tie-in deals with eight companies, compares the likely blockbuster to “the Super Bowl for women.” Other high-end beneficiaries...

Semi-Pro Bags Box Office Win
Semi-Pro Bags Box Office Win

Semi-Pro Bags Box Office Win

The Other Boleyn Girl debuts in fourth with Portman and Johansson

(Newser) - Semi-Pro shot to number one at the weekend box office but played worse than expected for New Line, banking just $15.3 million, Bloomberg reports. "It's just Will Ferrell in another funny costume," one analyst said. "The act appeared a bit rote this time." An R-rating...

Warners Swallows New Line
 Warners Swallows New Line

Warners Swallows New Line

Studio falls in latest Hollywood cost-cutting move

(Newser) - New Line Cinema, the studio that created the Lord of the Rings blockbuster franchise, will be folded into the Warner Brothers unit of Time Warner, reports the Los Angeles Times. It's a cost-cutting move and part of a trend that has seen DreamWorks swallowed by Viacom, and Miramax downsized by...

Tolkien Heirs Sue Rings Studio Over Profits

Mega-lawsuit could end plans to film The Hobbit

(Newser) - Heirs of author JRR Tolkien and publisher HarperCollins are suing the studio that made the Lord of the Rings films, claiming New Line Cinema cheated them out of $150 million in profit participation, Variety reports. The Tolkien Trust, a charity set up by the author's children, is also seeking a...

Jackson to Helm Hobbit
Jackson to Helm Hobbit

Jackson to Helm Hobbit

His Rings lawsuit resolved, Jackson embarks on prequel

(Newser) - Peter Jackson has resolved his lawsuit with New Line and plans to helm two much-hyped Hobbit films, the first due out in 2010, according to an Entertainment Weekly interview with MGM chief Harry Sloan. Jackson will co-write and may direct one or both films—unless he and New Line's Bob...

Compass Film Strips Book's Anti-God Moral

Author Pullman's stab at organized religion gets mass-appeal makeover

(Newser) - When the film version of hit children’s book The Golden Compass hits theaters this month, its atheist message will be thoroughly scrubbed—but the author is mainly holding his tongue. Philip Pullman says New Line would have scored a bigger hit by preserving God and clergy as villains, but...

McKellen Eager to Play Gandalf in The Hobbit

Film 'likely' to happen, with or without Peter Jackson directing

(Newser) - Ian McKellen wants to play Gandalf again if The Hobbit film ever gets greenlit, the Los Angeles Times reports. A bitter royalties battle with New Line Cinema may stop director Peter Jackson from directing the flick, but no matter: He told McKellen to "play Gandalf whether I direct or...

New Line: Lord of the Rings or Last Action Hero?

Studio fires marketing chief, struggles to project identity

(Newser) - The movie business' sepia-haired stepchild New Line Cinema fired its chief marketing officer this week—signaling that execs are blistering for fundamental change. After 40 years, New Line has lost its cutting-edge credibility to the Indies, and is ranked dead last in box-office revenue among the majors, the LA Times ...

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