If you thought Warner Brothers getting attacked for 27 animals dying after production of The Hobbit wasn’t enough then the Daily Mail has a new scoop for you: the Tolkien family is suing WB over merchandising rights due to what they feel is inappropriate merchandising by the company that is “destroying the Hobbit and Tolkien image”.
The lawsuit totaling a decent $80 million is citing issues that they feel are “morally objectionable”, including the use of an online slot machine for promotional purposes.
While Warner Brothers refuses to comment on the case the fact that this lawsuit is coming only a week before the Hobbit premier in New Zealand and on the heels of the animal scandal is “less than ideal” for WB, to say the least.