Despite the glamor, show business involves a lot of money, which can cause disagreements.
Although Hollywood being charming in many ways is a bubble with a lot of money and investment at stake. When contracts are broken, it is a question of millions at risk. Over the years, several celebrities have waged legal battles against firms and organizations, which resulted in a significant amount of money.
If celebrities claim that they have been robbed of profits, unfairly fired, or stop production before filming has even started, they are usually willing to drag the dispute to court.
In most cases, the contractual battles end in favor of who is the most famous, although many settle out of court by leaving the financial details private. Check out five celebrities who have sued major Hollywood studios:
Sylvester Stallone x DEM Productions and FM Entertainment
The actor had a small part in “The Good Life,” a 1997 film starring his brother Frank. However, Stallone accused the filmmakers of promoting the film as if he had a starring role, then sued them for breach of contract.
Eventually, the producers retaliated with their lawsuit, demanding $ 50 million, claiming that the Stallone brothers abandoned their contracts and “tried to take over the film.” After a two-year legal battle, both sides settled in 1999.
Robin Williams X Frank and Beans Productions
Williams said production company Frank and Beans Productions owed him money in a “pay or play” deal for the movie “A Couple of Dicks” in 2008. even though the film never finished or never came out. The plaintiff asked for $ 6 million in compensation, but it was not revealed who won the case.
In 2010, the film finally took off, but it starred Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, receiving the name “Cops in Trouble”.
Scarlett Johansson X Disney
One case that has attracted a lot of attention recently was that of Scarlett Johansson versus Disney. The repercussion of the case was high, as it involved one of the most famous franchises in the world: Marvel.
In 2020, the actress starred in the role of “Black Widow” in the heroine film. The Disney-produced film was released in July 2021, and Johansson quickly filed a lawsuit against the studio. She claims she violated their contract by releasing the film on Disney + at the same time as its theatrical release. The studio’s decision cost her millions, which depend on the film’s box office success for financial compensation.
Disney says it was a justifiable decision due to the pandemic and that they did not breach the contract. Johansson’s attorney disagrees and says Disney executives are clearly violating contracts with their artists to increase their revenue through Disney Plus subscriptions.
Gerard Butler X Olympus has fallen
Shortly after the news of Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit, Gerard Butler decided to step in and sue the producers of Olympus Has Fallen.
The actor claims the studio owes at least $ 10 million in back-end compensation, adding that he believes they underestimated the film’s domestic and overseas box office receipts.
Richard Gere X Random Acts Entertainment
“Pretty Woman” star Richard Gere sued a production company for extortion in 2018. She signed a contract with “Random Acts Entertainment” for a joint purchase of the rights to a book, which would be adapted into a movie. A screenwriter from the production company would write the screenplay and Gere would act at the same time he was directing.
One of the problems was that Gere paid for the rights to the book and was never reimbursed. In addition, the script produced was very weak, so the actor wanted to veto it. They reached a creative impasse, and the production company threatened to sue Gere, who at the time owned all the rights to the book’s adaptation. He claims they tried to extort him by charging him $ 500,000 to quit the project and sued them for extortion.
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
