Quentin Tarantino has a long history of promising projects that have yet to see the light of day; no one is much surprised that he’s probably never making his R-rated Star Trek movie. But if he never gets around to doing those NFTs for Pulp Fiction that he recently announced, it won’t exactly be his fault.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film company that was his home for quite a long time is suing him over his plan to release seven non-fungible tokens related to his big breakthrough, which they distributed in 1994. The plan was to release digital versions featuring scenes that were cut from an early version of the script, as well as artwork and commentary from the big guy himself. As with all NFTs, these will only be available to the lucky ones who manage to finagle a single copy.
Alas, less than two weeks after the NFTs were announced, Miramax has sent a cease-and-desist letter, claiming that they’re working on their own Pulp Fiction NFTs and that Tarantino’s versions devalue those efforts.
In their letter, Miramax also claims that, should Tarantino get his way, all hell will break loose. “Left unchecked, Tarantino’s conduct could mislead others into believing Miramax is involved in his venture,” the letter read. “And it could also mislead others into believing they have the rights to pursue similar deals or offerings, when in fact Miramax holds the rights needed to develop, market, and sell NFTs relating to its deep film library.”
However, Tarantino’s attorney argues that he’s not broken any laws, pointing out that his contract stipulates that among the elements to which he retains rights are “screenplay publication.” But this may still lead to a contract dispute that may shape how other filmmakers are able to step into the still brand-new world of digital tokens.
(Via THR)
