Lord of the Rings bosses sued over merchandising

(ANI)
Updated: 2007-06-08 18:35

London - Fifteen actors from the Lord of the Rings movies have filed suit against film studio New Line, accusing the company of a breach of contract over merchandising.

The New Zealand actors filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on May 30, alleging that New Line broke an agreement to pay them five percent of an estimated 100 million dollars profit from merchandising sales, such as caps, games and mugs, reports the BBC.

The actors' lawyer, Henry Gradstein, said New Line took "gross participation" fees that the company wasn't entitled to.

It's not the first suit against New Line stem from the hugely successful movie series.

Director Peter Jackson's production company sued the distributor two years ago, claiming that it had withheld profits, including revenue from DVD sales, for 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring.

In the same year, New Line reached an out-of-court settlement with Hollywood producer Saul Zaentz, who claimed that he was owed an additional 24 million dollars in royalties from the Lord of the Rings films.