Looks like Robert Shaye (CEO of New Line Cinema) is turning Peter Jackson's troubles with New Line's accounting practices into a personal matter. Don't know yet how this will affect The Hobbit. Read the scoop at AICN:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31206 (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31206)
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31211 (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31211)
The New Line executive must not have consulted with his PR guy about what he intended to say. They already looked like royal schmucks over this issue; this just drives the point home. A deciding to fast track the movie so that they can have it complete before their rights expire is plain stupid.
I admire Peter Jackson for the restraint he has been showing this whole time. Every story I read, he seems to state the same thing: "There were inconsistencies noted. Auditing is a common practice. We would like to audit the books." New Line responds by hooting in alarm and flinging poo.