Studio giant Warner Bros has accused Hollywood producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein of "trying to rewrite history" by suing for a share of profits from the Hobbit movies.
The brothers have filed a lawsuit against New Line and Time Warner seeking $US75 million in damages, over the decision to split The Hobbit into three films, but pay the Weinsteins only for the first movie.
The Weinsteins said they invested $US10 million in developing The Hobbit, when New Line acquired the rights in 1998 and agreed to pay 5 per cent of the profits from the first film to the brothers.
But Warner Bros said in a statement that the Weinsteins, owners at the time of Miramax, had simply made a bad deal.
Warner Bros say the Weinsteins were entitled to a share of the first movie, which made $US1 billion worldwide, but not to the two sequels.