I’m told this is the last day of employment for as many as 550 laid-off New Line employees. But Toby Emmerich has been driving around in a shiny new car and parking in the 116 North Robertson lot since June 10th. Like the jackass couldn’t have waited until July to show it off to the world.
UPDATE: One of Toby’s pals whom I normally respect is all in a lather and just emailed me this explanation: ”The guy had a lease on a Mercedes that just ended. He just leased a less expensive Lexus hybrid. He’s had the same exact parking place for 8 years, and he expressly declined to take Bob Shaye’s better space. What’s he flaunting? What has he done to deserve your implication that he’s gleefully driving over the graves of ex-New Line employees in his new red Ferrari? You think New Line’s absorption into Warner Bros is what he wanted?”
Where do I begin? Like a Lexus hybrid isn’t a pricey car. And what an immense sacrifice for Toby to decline Shaye’s parking space. For crissakes, Emmerich is as responsible as Shaye and Lynne for the debacle that New Line became. And worst of all, Toby is now funneling projects back to Bob and Michael. I still maintain that Emmerich should have been shown the exit door, not the car door.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.


Toby doesn’t need to be nice. He will never stumble and fall. He will never need anyone’s help. He will always be on top. Tick, Tick, Tick
All 550 of them should take a dump on it.
Classy.
I guess the only way he could make it worse would be to be carried around the building in a gold-plated sedan chair carried by burly Teamsters, while scantily clad maidens sprinkled rose petals before him.
new high priced car or not…guy still has no taste and no class
That’s showbiz.
All 550 of them should take a dump on it. Great concept. If you can arrange this I’ll be there to film it .
Far be it for me to defend Toby Emmerich or his ilk, but I went through a similar situation post-strike when the lease on my car was up and I needed to trade it in for a newer model (I’m a television writer). I didn’t want a new car, since the strike I really couldn’t afford to pay more per month than I had been paying, and I certainly didn’t want to drive back to my job and park a new car in my regular space where everyone on the crew would see it. But in the end, hanging onto the old lease would have cost me more money in registration fees and repairs, so I sucked it up and looked like a jerk. That may be Emmerich’s situation as well. Or he may just look like a jerk because he is a jerk.
this country is headed for class warfare
Toby must really have no shame. He’s walking around town with a sh*t eating grin because of Sex In The City’s numbers.
What’s going to happen in the next few years when all that’s left of New Line is Toby, his dog and a few stoner interns in a port-a-cabin on the WB lot?
WB have apparently already taken any semi decent project off New Line for themselves leaving Toby with a slate consisting of what exactly?
Endless Friday the 13th and Harold & Kumar sequels?
Congrats Toby. You’ve inherited a kingdom of crap.
Nikki,
Thanks for the memories. I’m on of those 550 peeps leaving New Line Today. It’s so sad to see that Toby will still be here. I do hope New Line continues the horrible job it’s been doing under his management and fail enough for WB to close it down officially. Sorry just wishful thinking since he’s the one that took the studio down.
Nikki, thank you for the harsh words you threw at Bob & Michael they needed they’re asses kicked! Now lets stick to Jeff Robinov and Alan Horn!! Lets kick they’re ass as they cheated out lots of New Line Employee’s having them take pay cuts and horrible jobs and lose they’re severance at the same time! WB watch out Nikki’s on you next!
At least he isn’t an arrogant guy pretending to be humble like most.
Oh that’s not Toby’s Car, That’s Bear’s car.
Toby has his brother, Noah, drive him to work in a limo made of imported baby teeth.
Nikki, you are awesome. Keep on.
Why does Toby need his pal to do his fighting for him?
Nikki, I generally respect your insight and criticism, but this story reeks of jealousy. It’s sad really that you find the need to lambast Toby Emmerich, even if he is a schmuck, for driving a Lexus. Would you prefer he drive a Hyundai? It’s just absurd. Rip him all you want for being a bad film executive, but bashing him for spending his money on a car? Just seems petty.
have to agree with Andrew here. I, too, recently had the lease end on my car and did an upgrade with the same lease payment on a much more expensive car.
a) It’s the end of the 2008 models, as the 2009 vehicles come onto the lots.
b) Dealers can’t sell cars fast enough, as people are starting to realize the more expensive hybrids, will take 7 to 10 years to pay off their savings at the pumps.
c) He is probably getting better gas mileage with the hybrid so in the short term he will pay less at the pump.
Bash him all you want for his creative decisions, but for buying a car, do some actual reporting and find out the details before passing judgement. you don’t have to be snarky to be a blogger/reporter.
Toby is and has always been a moron. He got lucky but eventually that will run out and he’ll still be a moron.
My experience with Toby is that he is a major prick who gets off on abusing his power. However his worst sin is continually getting his hack of a brother parts. Guy couldn’t convincingly portray pain if he were gutshot.
Just goes to show you how stupid it is to LEASE a car. Toby could have paid cash for a beautiful used BMW, taken what he WOULD have paid, year in, year out, for that idiotic lease and given it to charity. You too, JustThisOnce. You get no sympathy here.
I think the whole car thing is a sign of being a poor executive. It illustrates a complete lack of tact, diplomacy, and long term thinking.
A person in Emmerich’s situation, as captain of a corporate Titanic, should not be doing anything to piss off anyone right now. He’s going to be out of a job soon, no matter how well Sex & the City did, and the last thing you want is a lot of bad executive karma. Some Ex-New Liners will get jobs at other companies, some of them may even get important jobs, and do you think they’re going to want their new employer to do business, or hire Emmerich without putting the screws to him.
Emmerich should have at least made a phony show of sympathy, if only to show that he’s capable of thinking about it, if not feeling it.
the car is symbolic
duh
Why does Toby need his pal to do his fighting for him?
Comment by prod
Because maybe Toby has more important things to do than read this blog and respond to petty and jealous taunts!
not sure it’s ‘jealousy.’ more like opportunism. or populism. toby’s an easy guy to bash and probably deserves bashing but not for driving a lexus hybrid and parking in his usual spot. isn’t it enough that he sucks for screwing everyone, being selfish, and lacking taste?
good luck new liners. you’re all headed for bigger, better things.
It IS a hybrid though… at least he is considerate of the environment!
Look, I lease a car too. I do it because I’m able to write-off my lease payments. So please, “Work In LA,” spare me the sanctimony.
That being said, turning up with a shiny new Lexus the week everyone is getting the axe is totally Toby. My heart goes out to all my New Line friends who are losing their jobs. Next round’s on me, guys.