'Age of the Hobbits' Set for Cambodian Release Under New Title

Age of the Hobbits, which a federal judge enjoined Monday from release in the U.S. under that title, will get a Cambodian theatrical release, according to local press reports – but under a new name: “The History of Mankind.”

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The story, which appeared in the English-language Cambodia Daily, quotes the mockbuster producer’s location manager in Cambodia, Ung Nareth, as saying “[Asylum] just asked me at the last minute to give a new title.” The story said that Nareth did not know whether the request came as a result of the U.S. court’s injunction.

STORY: Judge Blocks Release of 'Age of the Hobbits' Movie

The injunction was issued Monday in response to a lawsuit filed in November by Warner Bros., New Line, MGM and producer Saul Zaentz alleging that the Age of the Hobbits’ moniker infringed their trademark rights in the term “hobbit” and was an attempt to exploit the release of the big budget The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

According to the press report, the now-renamed low budget film was shot in Cambodia and will hit theaters in that country later this month or in early January. Meanwhile, the Warner Bros. / New Line / MGM film will be released in most territories today, tomorrow or the next day, with the U.S. release set for Friday.

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