COMPASS & LOTR comparison

[Sauron the White]

Kristin Thompson, writing yesterday in her Fodo Franchise blog, uses sections of very recent interviews with the top financial officers at New Line and parent company Time Warner. Among the thing discussed was GOLDEN COMPASS. Here is the key excerpt

Coincidentally or not, on February 5, the day before the conference call, Ron Grover, Los Angeles bureau manager for BusinessWeek, editorialized in favor of Warner Bros. absorbing New Line. He pointed out that despite the successes of the Rings trilogy, Rush Hour 3, and Hairspray, the studio has grossed only $68 million domestically on the $180 million-budgeted Golden Compass. Grove points out that despite the $315 million overseas gross, “New Line sold off the foreign rights to others, which means there is a big time write-off coming for Time Warner.”

So it does seem that GC did make some money overseas but precious little of it made it to the coffers of the company who both made the film and has decision powers over any sequel. Plus the very low US figures seem to have soured the company on such future ventures.