NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News
Friday The 13th producer Sean Cunningham is suing Warner Bros. and Paramount in a row over profits.
As noted in The Hollywood Reporter, Cunningham has filed a lawsuit claiming the studios have “systematically miscounted” contingent compensation from a part of the Friday The 13th franchise.
The film has grossed over $129 million (£94 million) according to the complaint. However, Cunningham alleges that audits reveal improper deductions of fees and bonuses and have used “Hollywood Accounting”.
NME has reached out to Paramount and Warner Bros. for comment.
Elsewhere in the complaint, further issues alleged undervalued licenses and undervaluing of revenue from things like merchandising and TV income, for example.
On the defendants, the suit alleges that they “withheld documents would reveal that the Pictures’s distribution was structured to inequitably advance the interest of Defendants and [favoured] third parties.”
According to copyright, trademark & entertainment attorney Larry Zerner, the claim relates only to the 2009 reboot of the film. Writing on social media, Zerner said: “The lawsuit ONLY concerns profits of the 2009 F13 Reboot. None of the other films are part of the suit.”
I got a hold of the new Friday the 13th lawsuit and can give you a little more information. The Plaintiffs are Sean S. Cunningham Films, Ltd. and Horror, Inc. The Defendants are Warner Bros., Paramount & New Line. 1/https://t.co/YCBNbEPwiz
— Larry Zerner (@Zernerlaw) January 29, 2021
Sean is represented by Johnson & Johnson, a very experienced Beverly Hills law firm handling these sort of Hollywood accounting cases. The lawsuit ONLY concerns profits of the 2009 F13 Reboot. None of the other films are part of the suit. 2/ pic.twitter.com/utOBFYKEcC
— Larry Zerner (@Zernerlaw) January 29, 2021
The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants basically used "Hollywood Accounting" to cheat Sean out of the profits he was supposed to get from the Reboot. This is a fairly common lawsuit in Hollywood and will probably result in the Defendants paying Sean some money in the future 3/
— Larry Zerner (@Zernerlaw) January 29, 2021
Will this lawsuit stop any future F13 movies from being produced? Hard to say. If things are worked out with Victor Miller (and that's a big IF), there is nothing stopping Sean and WB from going forward on a new movie. 4/
— Larry Zerner (@Zernerlaw) January 29, 2021
In fact, better to get some money going on a new production, than wait for a lawsuit to end. But either side could use the lawsuit to push for better terms on a new production. IMHO, if the Miller case is resolved, there will be a new movie made End/ pic.twitter.com/l9j212a2JS
— Larry Zerner (@Zernerlaw) January 29, 2021
He added: “The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants basically used “Hollywood Accounting” to cheat Sean out of the profits he was supposed to get from the Reboot.
“This is a fairly common lawsuit in Hollywood and will probably result in the Defendants paying Sean some money in the future.”
The post ‘Friday The 13th’ producer sues studio over alleged profits row appeared first on NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News.
