Trade Round-Up: 60 Percent Peter Jackson Edition
· Let us all rejoice at the further enriching of a faceless multimedia conglomerate! Even without franchise pictures like Harry Potter and LOTR, hits from New Line, Warner Bros, and Warner Independent (Wedding Crashers, Dukes of Hazzard, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, March of the Penguins, et al) have made a dandy summer for Time Warner. [Variety]
· Let us be gripped by profound sadness because of the financial misfortune of another conglomerate! Blockbuster more than doubles its forecasted loss, leaving investors to make frowny faces. [THR]
· ABC isn't sure how it will replace beloved, just-deceased anchor Peter Jennings, but World News Tonight with Peter Jennings will still bear his name for now. We can't decide if that's creepy or a touching tribute. [Variety]
· The Asian box office looks to King Kong's "800 pound gorilla" for salvation. This isn't some kind of weird cult, merely a recognition of Peter Jackson's track record. [THR]
· New Line tries to repeat the plucked-from-indie-obscurity-to-mainstream-visionary-hitmaker formula that worked with Peter Jackson and Lord of the Rings, choosing the little-known but highly enthusiastic Anand Tucker to direct the first movie in their His Dark Materials trilogy. [Variety]