Jerk Shapiro
02-15-2003, 01:43 PM
Here's the link to the story from movies.com :
http://movies.go.com/news/2003/2/pennbingsuit021303.html
Here's the story.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Actor Sean Penn is claiming in a lawsuit that he lost a movie role because of his public opposition to a U.S. war against Iraq.
But movie producer Steve Bing has countered in his own lawsuit that Penn is "irrational and irresponsible" and accused the actor of trying to extort $10 million for a movie he had no deal to star in.
Bing and Penn hit each other with Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuits on Tuesday in a bitter feud over the putative movie Why Men Shouldn't Marry (which was rumored to be starring Penn and Woody Allen) that could result in a classic courtroom showdown.
Penn accused Bing of "borrowing a page from the dark era of Hollywood blacklisting" by allegedly reneging on a contract for him to play the lead in the movie after Penn aired his views on Iraq in a January television interview.
Bing, most famous for a bitter dispute over paternity of British actress Elizabeth Hurley's child, termed Penn's claim blackmail.
Bing alleged that on Penn's return from Iraq, Penn threatened "to turn their business dispute into a First Amendment crusade" although it had nothing to do with free speech, threatening to tell the media that he was forced off the movie because of his opposition to a U.S. invasion.
Bing said he had never closed a deal with Penn but had spent millions of dollars on pre-production for the movie, which he wrote and intends to direct, in the belief that the actor would be on board.
Penn claims breach of oral contract and is asking for $10 million in damages. Bing claims civil extortion and is claiming $15 million in damages.
Howbout that, eh?
I, personally, think Penn is a little out of line. If the director doesn't want to cast him, fine, it's his decision.
What do you think?
http://movies.go.com/news/2003/2/pennbingsuit021303.html
Here's the story.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Actor Sean Penn is claiming in a lawsuit that he lost a movie role because of his public opposition to a U.S. war against Iraq.
But movie producer Steve Bing has countered in his own lawsuit that Penn is "irrational and irresponsible" and accused the actor of trying to extort $10 million for a movie he had no deal to star in.
Bing and Penn hit each other with Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuits on Tuesday in a bitter feud over the putative movie Why Men Shouldn't Marry (which was rumored to be starring Penn and Woody Allen) that could result in a classic courtroom showdown.
Penn accused Bing of "borrowing a page from the dark era of Hollywood blacklisting" by allegedly reneging on a contract for him to play the lead in the movie after Penn aired his views on Iraq in a January television interview.
Bing, most famous for a bitter dispute over paternity of British actress Elizabeth Hurley's child, termed Penn's claim blackmail.
Bing alleged that on Penn's return from Iraq, Penn threatened "to turn their business dispute into a First Amendment crusade" although it had nothing to do with free speech, threatening to tell the media that he was forced off the movie because of his opposition to a U.S. invasion.
Bing said he had never closed a deal with Penn but had spent millions of dollars on pre-production for the movie, which he wrote and intends to direct, in the belief that the actor would be on board.
Penn claims breach of oral contract and is asking for $10 million in damages. Bing claims civil extortion and is claiming $15 million in damages.
Howbout that, eh?
I, personally, think Penn is a little out of line. If the director doesn't want to cast him, fine, it's his decision.
What do you think?