It hasn’t been a particularly good week for The Hobbit, what with all those mysterious animal deaths and now that the J.R.R. Tolkien estate have decided to sue Warner Bros. for $80 milion. And you thought it was going so well, Peter Jackson, didn’t you? Yes, the Tolkien estate, eager to get their greedy mits around cash they may or may not deserve, have filed a lawsuit against both Warner Bros. and New Line over something to do with “online slot machines and digital merchandising” that dates back to an original agreement they had in 1969.
According to Tolkien’s heirs, “his exploitation of Tolkien’s well-loved work has offended and distressed Tolkien’s devoted fans, harming Tolkien’s legacy and reputation,” which we somehow doubt because everybody loves gambling, don’t they? Especially Lord of the Rings gambling. “Look, I won a Gimli” –  just one of many phrases you might hear at a Balin’s Tomb-themed casino, and who wouldn’t want to hear that? There is also a character named Gamling in Lord of the Rings, which sounds a lot like “gambling,” so something something joke.
Of course, this whole ruckus could have emerged because the Tolkien estate are secretly peeved about those 27 animals deaths and want Jackson to pay for his crimes. You won’t get vengeance like this, Tolkien estate. You need to egg his house or something. Does Peter Jackson live in one of those hobbit houses, by the way? That would be great if he did.
Source: The A.V. Club
Published: Nov 20, 2012 12:27 pm