The gloriously ludicrous 1993 sci-fi action offering Demolition Man is being thawed out from the ’90s, but not for anything fun like a reboot or a prequel that goes deeper into Taco Bell’s franchise wars bloodshed. Big Hollywood legal dispute ahoy!
Sylvester Stallone is suing Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for (allegedly) ripping him off on his share of the profits from Demolition Man‘s success. (In a way though, didn’t we all profit from Demolition Man‘s existence?) In the suit, Stallone and his company Rogue Marble Productions Inc allege that fraudulent Hollywood bookkeeping practices ripped him off on the profits.
In the complaint obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, it’s clear that Stallone’s suit isn’t interested in being diplomatic about the claimed transgressions. Stallone’s profit participation was to grow as the film hit key milestones. This did not happen, alleges the suit.
“The motion picture studios are notoriously greedy,” states the complaint. “This one involves outright and obviously intentional dishonesty perpetrated against an international iconic talent. Here, WB decided it just wasn’t going to account to Rogue Marble on the Film. WB just sat on the money owed to Rogue Marble for years and told itself, without any justification, that Rogue Marble was not owed any profits. When a representative of Rogue Marble asked for an accounting, WB balked and then sent a bogus letter asserting the Film was $66,926,628 unrecouped. When challenged about this false accounting, it made a double-talk excuse, then prepared an actual profit participation statement for the same reporting period, and sent a check for $2,820,000 because the Film had in fact recouped its deficit.”
At present, it’s unknown how much Stallone is seeking in the suit. One imagines it’s not over peanuts. Stallone’s suit levels serious allegations against Warner Bros. labeling the studio’s actions as “unscrupulous, unethical and offensive, and causes substantial injury to consumers.” If Stallone does emerge victorious, Warner will likely have to prepare for a flurry of similar suits asking for another look at the books. This should make for some quality legal drama.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
