Goodbye New Line Cinema Indie folded into Warner Bros Source: Variety
New Line Cinema has long been a subsidiary of Time Warner and closely allied to Warner Bros, but today it has been announced that the formerly indie studio is being folded into its larger partner, where the name will remain as a genre arm, making comedies, horrors and what the Americans persist in calling "urban" films. In short, it's goodbye New Line as we know it.
Many of the company's 600 staff face losing their jobs, and while New Line will still have some development and marketing operations, these are due to be cut dramatically. After this weekend's release of Semi-Pro, New Line films will be released under the Warners label. Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, who founded the company, will not be among those kept on, although Production President Toby Emmerich is currently staying in place.
Here comes the technical bit. The reasons behind the move appear to be part of a plan to cut costs at Warners and increase the stock price, and one measure specifically mentioned is that New Line films will no longer be distributed by other companies overseas (a strategy that cost the studio on The Golden Compass, which did badly in the US but rather better elsewhere around the world). This could mean some slight changes here in the UK, but probably means, in practical terms, that at most we see a different logo before the start of the film.
For those of you who are worried, The Hobbit is said to be unaffected by the move. There's still no script and no director, although Guillermo Del Toro is in talks, and a release date in 2010, for the first film, and 2011, for the second, is still the aim.
While it's a shame to see the studio that brought us A Nightmare On Elm Street, Austin Powers and The Lord of the Rings go, it shouldn't actually make much difference to the films that we see - although it might change who distributes them to us. And given the problems that New Line has run into with The Hobbit, this could even speed up the process of bringing that to the screen. Maybe.
wonder what Lynne and Shaye are going to be doing now?
Wishing they had stayed on good terms with Peter Jackson I shouldn't wonder. Oh and also giving 'The Golde...' sorry I mean 'Northern Lights' the time, director and name that it deserves. ... Read More
Well at least UK consumers do not have to put up with EIV terrible DVD covers of New Line Cinema releases. EIV usually go OTT splashing quotes everywhere (eg. Long Kiss Goodnight, Lost in Space etc) ruining the cover designs.
In the past, I would import the Region 1 dvd if the UK release was by EIV.
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Following on from olirog, is this in any way a method of dodging the Tolkien estate's royalties claim? I mean, if New Line, as such, no longer exists, how can any money be paid? Being a layman when it comes to matters litigious, I'm merely positing a notion... And if you don't want your brain to atrophy ... Read More
I have been a longtime fan of Entertainment In Video, and it's always a joy to see their ever chnaging logo prior to the film starting appearing on screen.
Now ultimatley the question is this, EIV, With it's co founder's Nigel & Trevor Green and their company had been hand picked by new Line Cinema to distribute their movies this side of the pond.
However with the demise of New Line, there goes a hefty chunk of the cinematic action for Entertainment Film Distributors. Now I realise tha... Read More
To be fair, it hasn't been an indie since about 96.... Its always said A Time Warner Company since then so changing it to a big WB isn't that big a deal. It was a shame it was eaten by WB in 96. ... Read More
Doctorolorinbats no NL wont be focusing on low budget movies they will be focusing on GENRE MOVIES like comedies and horrors as the article said. ... Read More
It's a shame that a big company like that has been sold to someone who's a lot bigger and more in use. I blame the failure of the Golden Compass, they shouldn't put all that money into something that turned out crap to the world. I hope that the Hobbit and other such films won't be affected, those poor people who have lost their jobs will be much thought of. ... Read More
