UPDATE: At Least Seven Bidders For Hulu 
Hammond On Cannes: Suspense Builds To Sunday’s Palme … 
Record-Breaking Memorial Weekend 2013! ‘Fast & … 
Cannes: Un Certain Regard Winners Include ‘The … 
SAG-AFTRA Sued For Witholding Foreign Residuals And … 
Harvey Weinstein Closes Prolific Cannes With Deals For … 
Cannes: Competition Movies Divide Critics; How Much Do … 
Zach Braff Ends $3+M Kickstarter Campaign 
Fox Unscripted TV Czar Mike Darnell To Exit 
NBC Sets Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert For May 29 
Cannes: Directors’ Fortnight Honors ‘Les … 
SHOCKER: Tom Cruise Exits ‘Man From … 
A+E Rebuild: BBC’s Jana Bennett To Run Bio And LMN … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Hannibal’ Hits Low, … 
‘Katie’ Shakeup: Rachel Miskowiec Replaces … 
Hammond On Cannes: French Hero Jerry Lewis On His Return To … 
Cannes: Another Jewelry Heist? $2.6M Necklace Missing After … 
Hammond On Cannes: Leo DiCaprio’s Moon Trip Tops … 
Specialty B.O. Preview: ‘Before Midnight’, … 
2012-2013 Season Network Rankings: CBS Sweeps In Final … 
Full 2012-2013 TV Season Series Rankings 
Warner Bros will make the official announcement that Toby Emmerich is New Line Cinema’s president/COO by the end of this week. But in Hollywood, people are scratching their heads. Because wasn’t Toby one of the main reasons New Line went bad? I hear Alan Horn wanted him to stay for continuity. Lots of rumors are flying, including this: that it would have been expensive to buy Emmerich out of his contract. Warner Bros insiders say his contract would have been up at the end of 2008 so how expensive could it be? Someone I respect just emailed me that Toby has been a “very positive force at what otherwise might be described as a dysfunctional company. He has great relationships, has the ‘corporate memory’, is the perfect guy to shepherd sequels to the crown jewels (Austin Powers, Rush Hour, Wedding Crashers, Hobbit, etc.), and is an all around great guy. You can’t blame him for projects initiated and/or decisions made by his bosses.” Why, of course I can.
I still say: get rid of him.
New Line Severance Not All It Could Be
Don’t Believe Those New Line Layoff Rumors — Yet
TOLDJA! New Line Folds Into Warner Bros; Bob Shaye & Michael Lynne Exit; Read All The Interoffice Memos Here
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
Because, He along with Carolyn Blackwood set Bob Shaye up for the fall when everyone in Hollywood knows who’s to blame for the downword spiral
Who’s the bimbo that said Toby’s a great guy? I’ve got a casting couch with her name on it!
No Nikki, please tell me how you really feel!
But for reals, I say Warner Bros should wipe their hands clean of him Pontius Pilate style. New Line has never been the same since Michael De Luca was stopped from slapping his name as producer on anything of note coming out of it and pushed out into the real world where he quickly became an adult republican and a total snoor.
Toby is the Michael Brown of the entertainment world. Who else could get away with pushing awful product year after year after year (did anyone at Warner Bros. bother to read that FADE IN article?), put his own brother in a lot of high-profile projects, including the stuck-in-limbo PRIDE AND GLORY, and still totally not get what works in Hollywood? After all, this is the guy who has publicly crapped on horror projects when companies like Lionsgate — which has turned into what New Line used to be — made money hand over fist with the genre, which is now supposed to be New Line’s bread-and-butter.
If someone like second-in-command Richard Brener — a guy who worked his way up from the bottom at the company — were put in charge, talent would gravitate to the studio and it would be a bolt of badly-needed energy. This is another staggeringly boneheaded move by your “ballsy” Jeff Bewkes and the other number-crunchers at Warners, who clearly want a “yes man” instead of someone who will even remotely challenge their bureaucratic authority and perhaps make good movies in the process. TOLDJA indeed.
This actually makes sense for a number of possible reasons.
1. HE GETS RID OF THOSE PESKY FRANCHISES. Let’s face it-studios hate franchises. The pressure is enormous and who needs the headache? Toby has murdered BLADE and RUSH HOUR, while also putting a stake through the hearts of DUMB AND DUMBER and THE MASK.
2. INABILITY TO START A FRANCHISE. Again, no way does Warner Bros want to have to come up with sequels for WEDDING CRASHERS or ELF. And do franchises make money? No way in hell. I still don’t know anyone who has seen those “spideryguy” movies or whatever the hell they’re called..
3. WARNERS WANTS THEIR FINEST DIRECTOR BACK. Back in 2001, WB released a now-classic western called AMERICAN OUTLAWS. This little movie that was made for a paltry $35mil went on to gross over $13mil! The director? A cinematic genius by the name of Les Mayfield. WB knows that Toby and Les have a great relationship. This pair have made 2 films in the last couple of years that will be studied in film schools for eternity. THE MAN and CODENAME:THE CLEANER are not only critical favorites, but audiences flocked to see them on the big screen. For WB, having Mr. Mayfield back is like printing money.
4. SOMEONE REALLY LIKES ROTTEN APPLES. A quick check on http://www.rottenapples.com will show that under Toby, NL movies averaged a fresh rating of about 35%. Yummy!
5. TOBY KNOWS HOW TO SPOT TALENT. Toby knows that the best development guys know absolutely no one. Why hire a guy who can get you Jack or Denzel when you can hire a guy who’s fresh and not just stuck on the same faces? Toby doesn’t want guys with experience on their resume. No, just guys who went to the same fraternity he did. Even better if they are named after a lame dance craze from the seventies.
6. TOBY HAS POLAROIDS OF A BIGSHOT AT WB. Allegedly there are 4 words to describe them-“goat”, “hummer”, “candles”, and “lingerie”.
having worked for the guy i can say that yes he’s smart, he can be charming, and disarmingly down to earth and honest – that said he’s missing a few key attributes to lead a studio successfully: a passion for films, good taste, leadership qualities – he tends to hire people who agree with him and he doesn’t inspire the best in the people who do work for him – his hiring policies border on favoritism and sexism – he doesn’t have good relationships with talent – he doesn’t like to take risks and he contributed to the fear based decision making bob shaye was notorious for – how he can manage to keep his job while hundreds lose theirs is morally indefensible
Unbelievable. How does this happen? I don’t know Toby so I won’t bash him personally … I’ll take the word that he’s a “great guy”. But his record speaks for itself. Awful, awful films … and mostly box office disasters to boot. What a combo! Toby’s choices have been head-shakers for years. Absolutely ridiculous. I’m speechless. I have to go vomit now.
I can’t wait to pitch Bear (Toby’s dog) again. He almost bought from me last time. He loves my pitches.
Does anyone at WB have any idea what’s going on? Do they know that he has writers pitch his fucking lab? Does Bewkes even live in los angeles?
Why isn’t Brenner taking over? What the hell is going on?
It just goes to show, that WB still won’t know how to make a comedy.
I actually have a project in contention there, but who knows with WB in the mix. That Toby managed to fail upwards is shocking. The terrible movies of the last two years were his doing, he is arrogant and rude, sexist beyond belief. He has been enabled by Bob and now Warner Bros. The people making this decision are either stupid or blind. He has alienated people all over town… writers, producers, A-list talent, not to mention people who work and have worked at New Line. And I heard he really did throw Bob under the bus.
How does something like this happen? Is it really a done deal? Didn’t anybody ask anybody before making a decision like this?
Les Mayfield Jr. describes Time Warner’s typical thinking when hiring and promoting. They’re more concerned about what school and candidate attended and how attractive they are (in every sense), with the notion that “our kind of people” can learn any and every skill because, well, they’re superior.
Les left one classic Time Warner element out, tho; Emmerich, like the two guys over at HBO, are raptors. They are interims, hired to clean house (older women, unattractive men, support staff making too much money) and take the heat for the corporate parent. That will take about a year. When they’re done they’ll be retired out with “production deals” and someone with a bit more sense will replace them.
Who is anyone to judge a person or leader like Toby Emmerich? Have any of you ever been in his position? Have you ever had to make the kinds of decisions that he has? Have you ever had to stick your neck out for something that you believed in? If you have, then great. But ask yourself at what level have you had to make them? What was at stake? What did you have to lose? Stop judging the work of a person as intelligent, creative and innovative as Toby is. Judging from his choices, leadership abilities and his ability to follow through with choices leaves me absolutely mistified, that anyone would have the audacity to write such balony. He had bosses to answer to as well…why are you placing blame on him?
You are all entitled to your opinions.. I challenge you to really THINK before you write about someone else’s work ethic or ability. That’s all I am saying.
This is my favorite Toby story and it happened to me so I know it’s true. I had this meeting with Toby and some producers at New Line a few year ago about two very large video game franchises and a comic book the producers wanted New Line to buy.
After watching the video tapes and hearing the pitched presentations, Toby yawns and says to all of us “Do you have any dog movies? I want to make a dog movie.”
New Line did not get any of those franchises (other studios did) and I think Toby is still looking for that dog movie. Personally I have not done business with New Line since and rarely ever send them anything for consideration.
Hey Kristin, either you’ve got a project over at New Line or you’re one of his idiot development execs trying to keep her job!
One thing that can be said is he has great taste in interns.
Hey, leave Kristin — and most of the New Line execs, who are largely sharp, smart people left hamstrung by their leadership — alone. I’m “mistified” that people are full of “balony” too. Perhaps Kristin is a pseudonym for the subject of this blog entry?
Bewkes is a fool. During New Line’s “town hall” video conference with the guy, a low-level employee (who’s never gonna work in this town again, sadly) basically called Toby out for the moron he is and suggested Bewkes replace him with someone better. (I’ve never seen Brener’s head whip around so quickly in my life.) Amazing that after a public humiliation like that, WB had the nerve to offer Toby this job, and Toby had the nerve to accept it.
Let me get this straight. I’m about to lose my job after over a decade working at New Line. And the guy that every one of us working here knows cost us our jobs gets to stay? And gets promoted? What the hell is that? I’ve loved working here but this is beyond insulting. All of us at 116 Robertson know the real deal. Pathetic job, Mr. Bewkes. I’m embarrassed to work here now. Guess I won’t have to worry about that much longer.
At least we can all rest easily now knowing that Noah Emmerich will have work for the next three years
Kristin … who am I to judge Toby? I am not. The record is judging him. New Line is like a baseball team that has lost 100 games for 3 years in a row, but then gives the manager a raise and a new contract because 3 years ago the team had a 4 game winning streak. Oh right … that doesn’t happen in baseball, and it sure shouldn’t happen in Hollywood. I won’t take up the space here to list all of the critical and box office disasters under Toby’s watch. You know what they are and the record speaks for itself. He is President of the company. If he’s not responsible, then who is?
I agree with you, soontobeexnewliner. It is embarrassing to work at New Line now more than ever. Bewkes is clueless. If he wanted to mess with the small fish in his big pond, he should have worked harder to know what he was doing in the first place.
I’ve worked with Toby – except for “mistified” Kristin (learn how to spell and then you can have a comment) – I agree with everyone. I’ve also had the completely degrading opportunity to work with that other sexist asshole Herr Rolf Mittweg who has to take responsibility for running NoLine into the ground with his lackluster marketing campaigns created in the past with russell schwartz, who couldn’t market his way out of a paperbag. Between Rolf and Toby, NewLine managed to alienate every director and top level talent in town. Rolf’s abusive letter to David Cronenberg and Viggo after History of Violence ensured his role in running NewLine into the ground. And for that Rolf and Toby got paid paid millions every year (I wonder if Rolf knows that Toby made more than he did). The only person at NewLine who created revenue was Galano in International….Tuckerman in distribution (who’s actually one of the few nice nice guy’s in top level) managed to mess up every release date because Rolf and Toby had their own little personal war going. The problem with NewLine is that everyone at the top was out for themselves and couldn’t keep their ego’s in check, that and their amazing lack of talent at what they were supposed to be doing. Toby only had a job because of Bob (Bob and Toby’s daddy are buddies) and now Toby’s ditched that for his own glory —- oh, and of course Noah’s talentless part in every film Toby has a stinky finger in. It’s their own fault. A lot of people saw this coming a long time ago when TW made sure that all their contracts had to be renewed at the same time. They’re all selfish, talentless, greedy scum. I feel sorry for the people that did all the work and are now out of a job.
Let’s not forget that Toby is also the acclaimed writer of the Last Mimzy…Toby won’t last long in his new position —once the protective veil of Bob Shaye is removed, people will catch on pretty damn fast as to how overrated and lame he really is.
hey mr. bewkes:
Let it be known that this will be highlighted at every shareholder function from now until the situation is rectified.
NOTICE BEWKES – we are legion. we are anonymous, and we will have toby fired. or you will be asked to resign. you make the call. the ‘street’ is watching.
emmerich over brener? just when i thought the stock couldn’t sink ANY LOWER. THANKS BEWKES – THIS IS ON YOU, NOT HORN, NOT ROBINOV, YOU. you’ve retained a documented racist.
THIS WILL NOT GO AWAY BEWKES. YOUR RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP ARE SO FAR SORELY LACKING.
I MISS ICAHN:)
BREAKING:
Petition going around asking bewkes to remove toby. will be heavily publicized and is to be delivered to bewkes by an a-list star or two that toby has alienated.
Let the games begin.
I don’t understand. Wasn’t Toby Emmerich the guy that tried to get New Line to stop making horror movies in the first place? Now suddenly he loves them? Maybe I’m just a neophyte to showbiz politics but I find this all very confusing.
The bottom line: this is is a classic case of corporate America using someone (poor Toby’s so delusional he doesn’t even know he’s being used) to make the transition as easy as possible. Soon, Toby will be a pariah in this business and vanish into nonexistence just like before he joined New Line. The only reason he ever worked at NL or even in this biz was because his parents were art dealers and Bob bought from them. Not that nepotism doesn’t exist all the time in the biz, but Toby should’ve been happy with just having a job in general, but the guy had to then give his own actor brother a production deal and his wife’s best-friend a senior development exec job without being able to legitimize it (amongst many other examples). Then again, Toby’s not such a legit guy in general….
Anyone recall the time Toby used the “N” word in front of a black producer and director or when Toby paraded a female intern at Chaya for his “legit” pal Joe Francis.
Sure, Toby will take credit for all the successful films at NL, but everyone knows that he has zero to do with any of them. He hates horror movies, but claims credit for FvsJ which we all know was a former NL exec’s film, he claims credit for LOTR which we all was another current NL exec’s film. Interesting that he’ll never claim credit for any of the countless movies that tanked under his watch. I can just imagine that guy sitting in a room with Warners brass…I’m sure he just threw Bob and Michael under the bus to the Warner guys. Just too bad this all had to happen and so many people will lose their jobs because of one guy sinking an entire ship. Shame on Toby. Hope he can sleep at night.