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After success with several small-scale films, Peter Jackson in 1992 told Variety he was looking for a project “that will really push me.”

He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.

“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...

Peter Jackson revealed in a new interview with Deadline that a battle with New Line Cinema over the budget for his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy led to at least one blow up on the film’s New Zealand set. Part of what attracted New Line to Jackson’s trilogy was that the director budgeted each film at $60 million. New Line was risking a lot at the time, from betting on an untested tentpole director like Jackson to agreeing to shoot all three “Rings” films at once, so the $60 million price tag for each film played a big part in minimizing these risks.

“Peter was either trying to blow smoke around my head or he didn’t have a clue himself, but when we sent our own production team down to Wellington to see what was going on, they came back and said the first film could not be made for anything less than $120 million,...

Executive established thriving international output network.

Michael Lynne, the former attorney who served as co-chairman and CEO of New Line Cinema alongside Bob Shaye, found success with The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and established a pioneering international distribution output network, has died. He was 77.

When Brooklyn-born Lynne bumped into Shaye, an old acquaintance from Columbia Law School, in New York in the 1980s, they discussed ways of working together. Shaye had founded New Line in the late 1960s and retained Lynne as outside counsel. Lynne became president and COO in 1990, rising to co-chairman and co- CEO in 2001.

At the...

When you hear the word boycott, your mind probably goes to big moments in history like the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 or President Carter boycotting the Olympics back in 1980; what you probably don't think about are summer blockbusters. Over at The New York Times, Michael Cieply looks at a rare summer season that saw almost all of the big studio releases experience a fan boycott. So even though there are the obvious targets like Angels and Demons; it didn't stop there. Practically all of the big summer releases have earned a spot on a list that included: Terminator (thanks to a very unpopular PG-13 rating), Star Trek (in hopes of a little fund-raising for space exploration), and even Wolverine (and no, not because of the amnesia bullets; instead it was due to the political leanings of one of the film's consultants, Richard Donner).

You almost have to wonder why anyone...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles has re-elected Peter Morris as chairman. Its executive commitee for the new year also will consist of deputy chair David Ginsburg, secretary Norma Acland and treasurer Paul Steinke.

Board members elected for a two-year term include Paul Heller, Gabrielle Kelly, Maxine Leonard, Belinda Menendez, Rolf Mittweg, Tony Porter and Ian Wrigley. Board members returning for another year are Clare Baren, Katherine Haber, Ian Jessel, Nigel Lythgoe, Rebecca Segal, Julia Verdin and Brian Walton.

Donald Haber continues as executive director and COO.

"I am thrilled to have been re-elected for a fourth term as chairman, and will continue building on the remarkable achievements that BAFTA/La has accomplished," Morris said.

Related: Bewkes nukes New Line

Time Warner on Monday began the process of downsizing New Line Cinema by laying off 450 employees in New York and Los Angeles.

About 40-50 staffers will remain at the former mini-major, which is being retooled as a genre-oriented label within Warner Bros. as part of a Time Warner cost-cutting effort. Another 40 New Line employees are being offered positions elsewhere within Warners.

The pink slips will continue Tuesday. A Time Warner spokesman would not comment on who will remain while the notification process was ongoing.

Under the corporate edict announced in February by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, the revamped New Line will have a small development and production team along with marketing, publicity and business affairs execs.

Distribution -- which had been headed by Rolf Mittweg, with David Tuckerman overseeing the domestic side and Camela Galano handling international -- is shifting over to Warners, which begins rolling out New Line titles domestically with the April 25 release of "Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay."

Toby Emmerich, who had headed production at the old New Line, was named president and COO of the new New Line last month.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles on Thursday re-elected Peter Morris to a third term as chairman.

In its 21st year, the nonprofit organization also announced its board of directors for 2008.

The board's new executive committee consists of deputy chair David Ginsburg, secretary Norma Acland and treasurer Ian Wrigley. Board members elected for a two-year term include Clare Baren, Katherine Haber, Ian Jessel, Belinda Menendez, Rebecca Segal, Julia Verdin and Brian Walton. Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of "American Idol" and a judge on "So You Think You Can Dance", also will serve.

Returning members include Ian Abercrombie, Gary Dartnall, Gabrielle Kelly, Rolf Mittweg, Alexander Rufus-Isaacs and Pam Wilson. Donald Haber will continue as executive director and COO.

"It's a very exciting time", Morris said. "We have a great new group of people on the board that reflect the incredible influence the Brits have over here as well as in Britain."

Morris said the organization plans to continue to grow its education and outreach programs this year and hand out an increasing number of scholarships to those aspiring to succeed in the entertainment industry.

The holiday season kicked into high gear internationally the previous week and through the weekend as New Line Cinema's The Golden Compass opened in 25 markets for an estimated boxoffice gross of $55 million from about 5,500 screens. That's roughly $10,000 per screen.

"The numbers are very solid, very strong," said Rolf Mittweg, president and COO of New Line Worldwide Distribution and Marketing. "(The opening surge) bodes very well for a very successful run throughout the holiday season. It's all about longevity at this point."

The special effects-laden adaptation of the first of British children's author Philip Pullman's three His Dark Materials novels -- about a 12-year-old girl battling an evil empire -- began its opening surge overseas Dec. 5-7, with "weekend" figures covering as many as five days in most key markets. It is the No. 1 title internationally for the period.

With a production budget of about $180 million, Compass -- a family-oriented film co-starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and newcomer Dakota Blue Richards as the girl -- is New Line's most expensive movie ever. Combined with its $26.1 million opening and No. 1 finish domestically, its worldwide tally is $81.1 million.

"Don't forget, we are at the beginning of the holiday season, no school holidays yet," Mittweg said.

Mittweg also "sort of" confirmed the size of Compass' production budget, saying that New Line "always mitigates on the downside" via foreign presales. "Once we know more about the final boxoffice tallies, and how they will end up, I think we will decide to embark on the second film" based on the second novel of the trilogy, he said.

This review was written for the festival screening of "Run, Fat Boy, Run".Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO -- In his filmmaking debut, actor David Schwimmer heads across the Atlantic but sticks close to the familiar territory of rom-com convention. The result holds few surprises but is crowd-pleasing, and despite lacking marquee stars could do well with the date-night mainstream.

The pic benefits from a loveable-loser turn by Simon Pegg, but the "Shaun of the Dead" star's presence may also lead to disappointment for those familiar with his work. Fans of "Shaun" and "Hot Fuzz" may arrive expecting the co-writer of those self-aware comedies to bring some of his genre-savvy meta-humor to the romantic comedy. Pegg shares writing credit here, but evidently was brought in simply to add local color, not to lampoon a genre that could use a sharp-witted poke in the eye.

Pegg is Dennis, whose biggest wrong turn in life (and there's been competition) was leaving fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar even though she was carrying his child. Five years later, he shares parenting duties, lives in the basement of an Indian widower, and secretly hopes to win back Libby's heart.

Good luck to him, now that Libby has met Whit (Hank Azaria), who's rich, American, good-looking, and even (until the inevitable flaws emerge) an all-around swell guy. Dennis's reconciliation hopes, which seem not to have been on the front burner until Whit's arrival, now rest on his proving to Libby that he's capable of change -- that is, on his response to her familiar-sounding complaint, "you've never finished anything in your life." Whit's about to run a marathon, so Dennis's path is clear.

The ensuing training/disappointment/triumph arc follows all the familiar beats, with a diverting turn by Dylan Moran (the prig in "Shaun") as the best friend who bets his savings on Dennis and thus must become his coach, despite being just as lazy as Dennis is. Pegg is really the reason to show up -- he and Newton have little chemistry, but she's lovely and he's funny, which suffices.

In place of the absurdist pop-culture humor he's known for, Pegg is given some physical gags (like a gross-out bit involving a pus-filled blister) and left to fill in the gaps with personality. The movie gets some help from fresh pop tunes on the soundtrack, though the score itself tends to be (like the button-pushing flashbacks, motivational dialogue, and climactic revelations) fairly on-the-nose. Lack of inventiveness aside, the picture offers fewer opportunities for eye-rolling than many of its peers, and bodes well for Pegg's prospects in roles outside the niche he has carved with director/co-writer Edgar Wright -- not that fans will want to see him stray far from that partnership.

RUN, Fat Boy, RUN

Picturehouse

Material Entertainment

Credits:

Director: David Schwimmer

Writers: Michael Ian Black, Simon Pegg

Producers: Robert Jones, Sarah Curtis

Executive producers: Joseph Infantolino, Alexa L. Fogel, Nigel Green, Camela Galano, Rolf Mittweg, Martha Coleman

Director of photography: Richard Greatrex

Production designer: Sophie Becher

Music: Alex Wurman

Costume designer: Annie Hardinge

Editor: Michael Parker

Cast:

Dennis: Simon Pegg

Libby: Thandie Newton

Whit: Hank Azaria

Gordon: Dylan Moran

Mr. Ghoshdashtidar: Harish Patel

Jake: Matthew Fenton

Maya: India de Beaufort

Running time -- 99 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO -- In his filmmaking debut, actor David Schwimmer heads across the Atlantic but sticks close to the familiar territory of rom-com convention. The result holds few surprises but is crowd-pleasing, and despite lacking marquee stars could do well with the date-night mainstream.

The pic benefits from a loveable-loser turn by Simon Pegg, but the Shaun of the Dead star's presence may also lead to disappointment for those familiar with his work. Fans of Shaun and Hot Fuzz may arrive expecting the co-writer of those self-aware comedies to bring some of his genre-savvy meta-humor to the romantic comedy. Pegg shares writing credit here, but evidently was brought in simply to add local color, not to lampoon a genre that could use a sharp-witted poke in the eye.

Pegg is Dennis, whose biggest wrong turn in life (and there's been competition) was leaving fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar even though she was carrying his child. Five years later, he shares parenting duties, lives in the basement of an Indian widower, and secretly hopes to win back Libby's heart.

Good luck to him, now that Libby has met Whit (Hank Azaria), who's rich, American, good-looking, and even (until the inevitable flaws emerge) an all-around swell guy. Dennis's reconciliation hopes, which seem not to have been on the front burner until Whit's arrival, now rest on his proving to Libby that he's capable of change -- that is, on his response to her familiar-sounding complaint, "you've never finished anything in your life." Whit's about to run a marathon, so Dennis's path is clear.

The ensuing training/disappointment/triumph arc follows all the familiar beats, with a diverting turn by Dylan Moran (the prig in Shaun) as the best friend who bets his savings on Dennis and thus must become his coach, despite being just as lazy as Dennis is. Pegg is really the reason to show up -- he and Newton have little chemistry, but she's lovely and he's funny, which suffices.

In place of the absurdist pop-culture humor he's known for, Pegg is given some physical gags (like a gross-out bit involving a pus-filled blister) and left to fill in the gaps with personality. The movie gets some help from fresh pop tunes on the soundtrack, though the score itself tends to be (like the button-pushing flashbacks, motivational dialogue, and climactic revelations) fairly on-the-nose. Lack of inventiveness aside, the picture offers fewer opportunities for eye-rolling than many of its peers, and bodes well for Pegg's prospects in roles outside the niche he has carved with director/co-writer Edgar Wright -- not that fans will want to see him stray far from that partnership.

RUN, Fat Boy, RUN

Picturehouse

Material Entertainment

Credits:

Director: David Schwimmer

Writers: Michael Ian Black, Simon Pegg

Producers: Robert Jones, Sarah Curtis

Executive producers: Joseph Infantolino, Alexa L. Fogel, Nigel Green, Camela Galano, Rolf Mittweg, Martha Coleman

Director of photography: Richard Greatrex

Production designer: Sophie Becher

Music: Alex Wurman

Costume designer: Annie Hardinge

Editor: Michael Parker

Cast:

Dennis: Simon Pegg

Libby: Thandie Newton

Whit: Hank Azaria

Gordon: Dylan Moran

Mr. Ghoshdashtidar: Harish Patel

Jake: Matthew Fenton

Maya: India de Beaufort

Running time -- 99 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

Russell Schwartz is exiting his post after 6 1/2 years as domestic theatrical marketing president at New Line Cinema.

Rumors of Schwartz leaving the company surfaced this year, and Schwartz confirmed Monday that he and New Line executives Bob Shaye, Michael Lynne and Rolf Mittweg have been discussing the move for months.

"It's a new school year in September, a new energy, and it just felt like the right thing to do," Schwartz said. He added: "I really wanted to make sure that I stayed through Hairspray and Rush Hour 3, both of which are very personal projects to me. ... I took a really personal interest in 'Hairspray' from Day 1. Not that every other movie isn't dear to me, but this was a huge project, and it was in many ways as unique as selling the early Lord of the Rings. "

Rush Hour 3 opens Friday, and Schwartz began his career at New Line with Rush Hour 2, so the timing provided a bookend of sorts.

CANNES -- Picturehouse and New Line International have acquired worldwide rights to the suspense, horror film Amusement. The deal was announced Tuesday by Picturehouse president Bob Berney and Rolf Mittweg, president and COO of New Line Worldwide Distribution and Marketing, and Camela Galano, president of New Line International. Amusement tells of three seemingly different women's fears. Simpson previously directed Freeze Frame, while Wall's credits include When a Stranger Calls and The Hitcher.

Picturehouse and New Line International have acquired rights to Francois Girard's Silk, a world-hopping romantic drama starring an international cast headed by Michael Pitt, Keira Knightley, Koji Yakusho and Alfred Molina. The deal was announced Friday by Picturehouse president Bob Berney; Rolf Mittweg, president and chief operating officer of New Line worldwide distribution and marketing; and Camela Galano, president of New Line International. Based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco, Silk is the story of Herve Joncour, a 19th century French silkworm merchant who travels to Japan, where he begins a forbidden romance. Girard and Michael Golding have adapted the screenplay for the film, to be produced by Niv Fichman, Nadine Luque, Domenico Procacci and Sonoko Sakai.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles chapter has elected six new members to its board of directors: actor Ian Abercrombie; Ashok Amritraj, chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment; Rolf Mittweg, president and chief operating officer of New Line Cinema; writer-director-producer Gavin Scott; public relations executive Bumble Ward; and communications consultant Ian Wrigley. Donald Haber continues to serve as executive director. The board also re-elected Alexander Rufus-Isaacs and Gabrielle Kelly to new two-year terms. Gary Dartnall has been re-elected as chairman, David Ginsburg as deputy chair, Rebecca Segal as secretary and Duncan Clark as treasurer.

New Line Cinema, under the leadership of co-chairmen Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne, couldn't have begun 2004 on a higher note. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the culminating 2003 installment in his magisterial trilogy, amassed $377 million domestically -- $86.6 million of that accrued to New Line's 2004 accounts. More importantly, the movie scored a clean sweep at the Academy Awards, winning all 11 categories in which it was nominated, including best picture. But that left New Line facing a question: What to do for an encore? The studio's answer was to hunker down, release some movies and begin planning. "It was a little bit of a reset year," New Line production president Toby Emmerich says. Adds Rolf Mittweg, president and chief operating officer worldwide distribution and marketing: "We are allowed to take a breather. Everybody knows, even our parent company (Time Warner), that it's impossible to have that kind of success every year. But there are things that are cooking at the moment that will be ready for 2006 and 2007 that will bring us more hype."...

Japanese entertainment major Shochiku has acquired Japanese distribution rights to The New World from New Line Cinema, the company said Friday. Set in America in the 1600s, The New World stars Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, Christopher Plummer and newcomer Q'orianka Kilcher, who plays Pocahontas in the film, which is currently in production. It's being produced by Sarah Green and executive produced by Bill Mechanic, Trish Hofmann, Rolf Mittweg and Mark Ordesky. "We anticipate tremendous demand for this film as it tells a fascinating and highly entertaining story and boasts a brilliant cast," Shochiku acquisitions manager Kazunori Moriguchi said. "Given these elements, we're confident that it will play well and will be very well received in the Japanese market." Previous titles acquired from New Line by Shochiku include the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Christopher Plummer has signed for passage to The New World, director Terrence Malick's take on the Pocahontas tale for New Line Cinema. Billed as equal parts historical epic and timeless love story, the project is set against the backdrop of 17th century America in the nascent Jamestown, Va., settlement where the culture of European explorers collided with that of Native Americans. It focuses on the relationship between explorer John Smith and young Indian princess Pocahontas. Colin Farrell already has been cast as Smith. Plummer will play Capt. Christopher Newport, an English officer among the initial settlers in the New World who serves as the first president of the Jamestown Colony. The project, scheduled for a July start in Virginia, is being produced by Sarah Green. Overseeing are Toby Emmerich, Mark Ordesky and Rolf Mittweg. Plummer's credits include The Sound of Music and A Beautiful Mind. He next appears in National Treasure and the Oliver Stone-directed Alexander. He also is the winner of two Tonys and two Emmys. He is repped by ICM.

TORONTO -- MDP Worldwide Entertainment on Tuesday said New Line Cinema had picked up the U.S. rights to the Mike Binder family comedy The Upside of Anger, which stars Joan Allen and Kevin Costner. Written and directed by Binder (The Mind of the Married Man), The Upside of Anger is a co-production of Montreal-based MDP Worldwide and the German film financier VIP Medienfonds. Terms of the distribution deal were not disclosed. " 'The Upside of Anger' hits the perfect note of dramatic performances with hilarious moments, delivered by an incredibly talented cast," Rolf Mittweg, president and chief operating officer of New Line Worldwide Distribution and Marketing, said in a statement. The comedy portrays Terry, a single mother played by Joan Allen, and her four daughters in a comedic and dysfunctional relationship with a family friend, played by Kevin Costner. Also starring in The Upside of Anger is Evan Rachel Wood, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell and Alicia Witt. Producer credits on the project go to Alex Gartner, Jack Binder and Sammy Lee, with Stewart Hall, Andreas Grosch and Andreas Schmid sharing executive producer credits.