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.
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
Comment by Paul — June 27, 2008 @ 8:57 am
All 550 of them should take a dump on it.
Comment by exnewliner — June 27, 2008 @ 9:06 am
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.
Comment by Furious D — June 27, 2008 @ 9:11 am
new high priced car or not…guy still has no taste and no class
Comment by firecrotch — June 27, 2008 @ 9:29 am
That’s showbiz.
Comment by Vinnie Vegas — June 27, 2008 @ 9:31 am
All 550 of them should take a dump on it. Great concept. If you can arrange this I’ll be there to film it .
Comment by Jon Raymond — June 27, 2008 @ 9:50 am
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.
Comment by JustThisOnce — June 27, 2008 @ 9:53 am
this country is headed for class warfare
Comment by historic — June 27, 2008 @ 9:54 am
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.
Comment by Warner Borg — June 27, 2008 @ 10:01 am
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!
Comment by JackTheRipper — June 27, 2008 @ 10:04 am
At least he isn’t an arrogant guy pretending to be humble like most.
Comment by Pierre — June 27, 2008 @ 10:32 am
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.
Comment by johnny writer — June 27, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Nikki, you are awesome. Keep on.
Comment by awsome Nikki — June 27, 2008 @ 11:28 am
Why does Toby need his pal to do his fighting for him?
Comment by prod — June 27, 2008 @ 11:30 am
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.
Comment by Andrew — June 27, 2008 @ 11:34 am
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.
Comment by Dumbarticle — June 27, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Toby is and has always been a moron. He got lucky but eventually that will run out and he’ll still be a moron.
Comment by maggiemay — June 27, 2008 @ 11:55 am
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.
Comment by belowtheline — June 27, 2008 @ 11:56 am
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.
Comment by work in but don't live in LA — June 27, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
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.
Comment by Furious D — June 27, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
the car is symbolic
duh
Comment by Wake up — June 27, 2008 @ 12:08 pm
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!
Comment by richard — June 27, 2008 @ 12:15 pm
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.
Comment by joe — June 27, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
It IS a hybrid though… at least he is considerate of the environment!
Comment by Me — June 27, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
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.
Comment by Jack Burton — June 27, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
That may be Nikki, but then you should have just said that. Using the end of his car lease as a smoke screen for some other agenda doesn’t seem very fair and balanced to me. Or accurate more importantly.
Comment by Lenny — June 27, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
My God you are such a self righeous Bitch its UNBELIEVABLE!
Comment by Anderson — June 27, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
For the love of god! This is Hollywood. A Lexus IS NOT a pricey car! My assistant drives a SL 500.
Comment by UGH — June 27, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
Toby needs a good car in his eternal quest for a hit dog movie.
Comment by reelbusy — June 27, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
richard, that’s crap
you know toby got his buddy to email because he’d look like a schmuck doing so personally.
if he’s so above it all, and this blog so lowly, then no one need respond on his behalf at all.
fact is, he’s stewing.
Comment by scmucks galore — June 27, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
It is infuriating that a bunch of jerk off men are profiting off SATC
Comment by Exec — June 27, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
You have an untalented, unsuccessful, stuttering, racist, homophobic, sexist, corrupt, egomaniacal, dog-humping, clueless studio head and the best you can hit him with is leasing a hybrid?
It’s like when Capone went down for tax evasion.
Comment by Drop In The Bucket — June 27, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
As others have said, leasing a car when you can damn well buy one (or a whole fleet of them if you insist on being an asshole like Jay Leno) is a perfect example of not having any kind of business sense. No wonder New Line got flushed down the toilet once he and his equally stupid cronies got their paws on the studio.
Comment by Crystal Diane Stevens — June 27, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
Despite what everyone thinks of the guy, this is the snarkiest article that I have seen posted. What a waste of space!
Comment by independant producer — June 27, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
Airbud 4? Bear really running the studio?
Comment by bob — June 27, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
As one of the 550 who left today, I can’t say that I was that bothered by the car. It’s just a lease and just about everybody of the NL execs is in a nice car. All I thought these last couple of weeks is that Toby decided to move from a Mercedes to a Lexus. No big deal.
I can assure you Toby is finding the time to read these posts. He ain’t that busy.
He didn’t deserve to stay and get promoted but that’s Hollywood.
I will not miss that place. It was a terrible place to work.
Comment by The car is the least of it — June 27, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
What lovely comments. Just more proof that this accursed town is full of haters who, given the opportunity, will spew bile and bitch till they are blue in the face. If the Big One hits, tell me again why we should cry for you?
Comment by UltimateCynic — June 27, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
Sanctimonious or not, I wasn’t aiming my comment at you, Jack Burton. It’s tiresome to hear people lamenting their financial post-strike ruin, with the luxury of boo-hooing whether or not to lease another brand new car, when 550 people are out on their collective asses.
Comment by work in but don't live in LA — June 27, 2008 @ 8:18 pm
What really galls me is the stupidity of Warners, not just for putting Toby in charge of what’s left of New Line, but for thinking that dissolving NLC will save them any money. As a years-long employee of both WB then New Line, I can tell you that Warners wastes enough money through incompetence, laziness, and a general “who cares?” attitude each year to fund New Line, Picturehouse and Warner Independent, and probably have $ left over.
Is the fact that New Line could do what it did with 600 people while Warners has some 10,000 overall lost on everyone at TW? Nikki - you should look into the waste and redundancy and dead weight at Warners (and probably all the other majors). Now that would be a story!
Comment by hummus — July 1, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Dead weight is the understatement of the year. Warner’s spends more money to open its movies than any other studio and yet the in-house studio execs (nice as they are and as fun to party with…) responsible for that money delegate every meeting, every negotiation, every budget, every decision to its ad agency. Kudos to Coontz’ team for carrying all that dead weight.
Comment by JustSaying000 — August 21, 2008 @ 10:24 am