Quick history lesson for those not in the know: New Line want to make The Hobbit, Peter Jackson wants to make The Hobbit, Tolkein fans desperately want Peter Jackson to make The Hobbit, Sir Ian McKellan wants Peter Jackson to make The Hobbit and won’t put on his wizard hat for any other director.

But.

Peter Jackson is suing New Line for a portion of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy he says he’s due. New Line are refusing to hand over any more cash or open up their accounting books (which seems shady to me) and as a result the two can’t work together. Despite this, optimistic Tolkein fans were hoping the two sides could sort things out and get started on making The Hobbit.

But.

In an interview with scifi.com, New Line’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Shaye pressed the nuclear button, obliterating any remaining hopes that differences can be patched up:

“I do not want to make a movie with somebody who is suing me … It will never happen during my watch.”

“He got a quarter of a billion dollars paid to him so far, justifiably, according to contract, completely right, and this guy, who already has received a quarter of a billion dollars, turns around without wanting to have a discussion with us and sues us and refuses to discuss it unless we just give in to his plan. I don’t want to work with that guy anymore. Why would I? So the answer is he will never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I’m still working for the company.”