Yahoo News Gerard Butler files $10m lawsuit over Olympus Has Fallen profits
Gerard Butler has filed a lawsuit claiming he is owed at least $10m (£8.5m) from the success of 2013 blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen.
The action film stars Butler as a former Secret Service agent tasked with defending the White House against terrorists. He reprised his role in two successful sequels, London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit alleges defendants Nu Image, Millennium Media and Padre Nuestro Productions never intended to pay Butler net profits from the original movie.
Butler claims that he has not seen a penny in net profits, despite the film grossing around $170m (£122m) worldwide.
“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,” the lawsuit states.
“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.”
The Independent has contacted Millennium Media for comment.
Butler’s lawsuit comes amid a row between Scarlett Johansson and Disney after she sued the conglomerate over its Black Widow strategy of releasing the film simultaneously in cinemas and on its Disney Plus streaming service.
The Hollywood star argues that she was guaranteed an exclusive cinema release in her contract, and that she has lost money legally owed to her as a result of Disney’s decision.
Disney has been criticised over its response to Johansson’s lawsuit after representatives called it “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The conglomerate was accused of carrying out a “gendered attack” on Johansson by campaigns Women in Film, ReFrame and Time’s Up.
A joint statement condemned Disney for its attempts to “characterise Johansson as insensitive or selfish for defending her contractual business rights”.
Johansson’s agency CAA has also criticised Disney for disclosing her Black Widow salary, accusing it of “weaponising” her success with the studio.
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