Gerard Butler sues for $10M in lost profits from Olympus Has Fallen… a day after Scarlett Johansson takes on Disney over $50M Black Widow pay row due to streaming release
- Butler’s lawsuit is more about box office accounting than losing profits due to theaters shutting down during Covid, as the film was released in 2013
- However it comes just a day after Scarlett Johannsson’s bombshell lawsuit against Disney over lost earnings amid the pandemic
- Butler claims that box office receipts failed to mention that $8million had gone to its own executives
- The film went on to gross $170 million worldwide, spawning two equally successful sequels London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen
Gerard Butler is suing a film company over lost learnings, a day after it was revealed that Scarlett Johannsson was taking legal action against Disney for losing out on a reported $50million for Black Widow.
Variety reports that Butler filed a lawsuit on Friday against Nu Image/Millennium Films alleging that he is owed at least $10million for the 2013 action film Olympus Has Fallen, which he should have received in backend compensation.
He claims that box office receipts failed to mention that $8million had gone to its own executives.
While Butler’s lawsuit is more about box office accounting than losing profits due to the pandemic, the timing of it will no doubt be of interest to other A-List stars and agents.
Case: Gerard Butler sues for $10M in lost profits from Olympus Has Fallen… a day after Scarlett Johansson takes on Disney over $50M Black Widow pay row due to streaming release
Butler’s film went on to gross $170 million worldwide, spawning two equally successful sequels London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen.
Looking for the receipts: The film went on to gross $170 million worldwide
The lawsuit alleges that producers ‘have earned tens of millions of dollars from Olympus, but refuse to pay Butler a penny of the grosses and profits promised to him in the parties’ agreement.’
Adding: ‘Butler refuses to tolerate Defendants’ misrepresentations and other wrongful conduct. Butler worked with Defendants to create a highly successful movie franchise. He demands his fair share.’
Per the report, the actor’s contract meant he would receive 10% of net profits from the film, in addition to 6% of domestic gross above $70 million, and then a further 12% of foreign adjusted gross receipts over $35 million.
It comes just a day after Johansson’s bombshell lawsuit against Disney, which has sparked a war between the star and the conglomerate.
Tensions between Disney and Johansson, 36, escalated Friday when the actress’s talent agent said the company released her $20million salary figures for the last two Marvel movies in ‘an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman.’
It was a stunning reveal in Disney’s press statement responding to the Black Widow star’s $50million lawsuit, which Marvel’s parent company called ‘sad and distressing’ and insisted it has ‘no merit whatsoever’.
‘Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades,’ Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency, said in a statement.
Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney, claiming the movie’s simultaneous release as a streamer breached her contract
Johansson filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, alleging that she lost out on more than $50million as a result of the film being released on streaming service Disney+ at the same time as its debut in theaters, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The actress claimed she had been guaranteed that Black Widow would have an exclusive theatrical release, and that the bulk of her salary was based on the box office performance.
Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson as the cat-suited superspy, was available online to Disney+ subscribers for an extra fee of $29.99.
‘This suit was filed as a result of Disney’s decision to knowingly violate Scarlett’s contract,’ Lourd said.
‘They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation. That’s it, pure and simple.’
DailyMail.com contacted Disney for comment.
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