Fifteen actors from the Lord of the Rings trilogy are selling New Line Cinema for breach of contract, claiming they still haven't received a percentage of the estimated $100 million in profits from the sales of movie merchandise, including the video games:

The New Zealand actors were supposed to split 5% of the revenue after expenses from sales of caps, video games, mugs and other merchandise, according to the lawsuit filed May 30 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. But, the suit contends, New Line breached the contract by taking distribution and "gross participation" fees to which it wasn't entitled

The fees weren't in the contract and they ate up all the profits owed to the actors, said their attorney, Henry Gradstein of Los Angeles.

Hollywood's full of dreams, but I'm sure a lot of actors didn't expect to spend time in court trying to reap the benefits of seeing their face on a mug or stripped onto an avatar. That's show business for you. Kim Phu

15 actors sue New Line Cinema over 'Lord of the Rings' profits [USA Today]

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