Robin Williams loses $6 million pay-or-play lawsuit over 'Cop Out'

By Matthew Belloni

Robin Williams has fired blanks in his lawsuit against Gold Circle Films over an alleged $6 million pay-or-play deal to star in "Cop Out" (formerly titled "A Couple of Dicks").

Williams' loan-out company Fiat Risus sued Gold Circle in October 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming the actor was hired to star in the action-comedy before Gold Circle put the movie in turnaround. Warner Bros. ended up making the film with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan and will release it Feb. 26.

In defending the lawsuit, Gold Circle claimed it never finalized a deal with Williams and presented evidence that its business affairs exec Adam Mehr sent an e-mail to the Williams camp saying the company "did not agree to all of the terms set forth in the Deal Memorandum," according to today's ruling by Judge Joanne O'Donnell. That and other evidence was enough for O'Donnell to grant Gold Circle's motion for summary judgment, effectively ending the case.

Here's the decision and the original complaint.

"It's unfortunate that Robin Williams' attorneys insisted on pursuing this lawsuit when it never should have been filed in the first place," said Gold Circle lawyer Michael Holtz, who handled the case with Lavely & Singer partner Marty Singer. "We always believed this case lacked merit, and the court obviously agreed. Based on the court's ruling, we intend to seek recovery of Gold Circle's costs and attorneys' fees."

Williams' lawyers at Manatt Phelps & Phillips did not return a call seeking comment.