Stephen Fry Defends Dorky British Pub From Greedy Hollywood Mogul

The always lovely Stephen Fry, who will play the Master of Laketown in Peter Jackson’s upcoming movie version of The Hobbit, has spoken out against Hollywood producer Saul Zaentz, who owns the worldwide merchandising rights to the original book and is threatening legal action against a Southampton pub of the same name. (Jackson licensed the rights from Zaentz.) The Hobbit the pub has been open as such since 1989, offering live music, Caribbean barbecue (?) and drink specials like The Gandalf, The Bilbo and The Gollum at a 50 pence discount with the display of a “One Card To Bind Them All” loyalty card. “Sometimes I’m ashamed of the business I’m in,” Fry wrote on Twitter. “What pointless, self-defeating bullying.” The video clip above is from an episode of Fry’s old BBC show with Hugh Laurie, and proves that Zaentz has gotten off easy, so far.