Jan de Bont sues for $1.25 million over pay-or-play snub

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Jan de Bont sues for $1.25 million over pay-or-play snub

Tue Sep 15, 2009 @ 07:03PM PST

By Eriq Gardner

Jandebont"Pay-or-play" contracts encourage big names to sign onto a project with the incentive that the talent will be paid regardless of whether the project actually happens.

Some producers are willing to take that kind of gamble to attract top-notch talent, but are they willing to stick by the provision should something go wrong?

Director Jan de Bont ("Speed," "Twister," "The Haunting") has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against producers of a film called "Stopping Power" for allegedly not living up to this kind of deal. John Cusack filed a similar claim against the movie's producers last year.

According to the latest lawsuit, producer Intermedia Film Equities USA agreed to pay plaintiff Blue Tip International, which furnished De Bont's services, $1.5 million as an advance against "domestic participation," $250,000 upon DeBont's engagement, $50,000 in the last two weeks prior to production, $900,000 during principal photography, and $150,000 upon delivery of the film. But just days after principal photography commenced, the film was shut down and never made.

Blue Tip says it's owed about $1.25 million in remaining money due under the "pay or play" provision. Here's the complaint.

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The Hollywood Reporter, Esq. blog focuses on how the entertainment and media industries are impacted and influenced by the law. It is edited by Matthew Belloni with contributions from veteran legal reporter Eriq Gardner and others. Before joining The Hollywood Reporter, Belloni was a lawyer at an entertainment litigation firm in Los Angeles. He writes a column for THR devoted to entertainment law. Gardner is a New York-based writer and legal journalist. Send tips or comments to [email protected]

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