'Terminator' producers in $10m lawsuit
Christian Bale's eagerly anticipated 'Terminator Salvation' movie has been thrown into turmoil after its three main producers became embroiled in a $160m (€127m) lawsuit.
Moritz Borman filed suit against his fellow producers Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek at Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, accusing the pair of fraud and breach of contract.
Borman claims he help arrange for Anderson and Kubicek to acquire the rights to the Terminator franchise for their company Halcyon Co. in 2007.
It gave the pair full rights over the production of 'Terminator Salvation' and any future sequels, plus merchandise and licensing.
Borman alleges financial backing for the movie was secured through investment fund Pacificor LLC in exchange for approval rights over the movie, involvement in all creative decisions, and a $5m (€3.97m) producing fee.
However, in the lawsuit, he claims the pair failed to honor their initial agreement, "hijacking" the production in July 2008 and refusing to pay him the $2.5m (€1.98m) fee he was due.
The legal document reads: "Notwithstanding the fact that defendants obtained the substantial franchise rights and assets through Borman, Anderson and Kubicek failed to honor their assurances, representations and contractual obligations to Borman. Defendants' egregious fraud, bad faith conduct and refusal to abide by their contracts has led to the filing of this lawsuit.
"It also came to light that Anderson and Kubicek did not have the means to finance the picture, had defaulted on numerous loans and owed over $1m (€794,000) to creditors on the picture."
Now, Borman is seeking $160m (€127m) in damages through the LA courts.
