This Week In Lawsuits
Everywhere you look, people are suin’ mad!
Queen Latifah has sued Perfect Christmas Productions, the production company behind The Perfect Holiday (2007, starring Terrance Howard and Gabrielle Union) for breach of contract. The Queen says that she has not been paid for her cameo in the movie. She’s seeking $275,000. Even though the movie was basically a dud, only making $5.8 million domestically and scoring a 2.3 on IMDb (#91 in the bottom 100 rated movies…ouch!), the production company had been able to raise millions from third party investors to make the film. Latifah did her job, and girl just wants to get paid! Chances are this will be settled relatively quickly. They wouldn’t want to ruin their image before the DVD release!
Also throwing his hand into the suing pot is the son of Godfather creator, Anthony Puzo. What’s got his gun in a twist? Apparently, Paramount Pictures failed to pay him royalties for the 2006 video game they released based on his father’s work! Mario Puzo died in 1999, and Anthony is in charge of his estate, which includes an agreement with Paramount to receive a “significant share” of the revenues from any audio or visual products that included elements of “The Godfather” films…which OBVIOUSLY includes video games! Puzo is seeking $1 million for this breach of contract issue. I don’t blame him! Why do big studios think they can just use people’s work and not pay them? First New Line versus Peter Jackson and the Tolkien estate, now this! Note to studios: Stop pissing off the people behind your money makers!
Queen Latifah Demands Royalty
Queen Latifah showed her face, and now she wants to be shown the money.
The Oscar-nominated actress has sued a small production company for allegedly failing to compensate her after she made a cameo as “Mrs. Christmas” in a 2007 indie film.
According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, California-based financier Perfect Christmas Productions agreed to pay Latifah $275,000 for her role in the family comedy The Perfect Holiday (not to be confused with Last Holiday, in which she starred as a mousy office worker who finds out that she only has weeks to live).
The film, which also starred Terrence Howard and Gabrielle Union, grossed $5.8 million last year.
Biel Keeps It Real Online
Jessica Biel is dating Justin Timberlake and she has a heart of gold? Some girls have all the luck.
As it is, the pop star's better half has teamed up with the other man in her life, father Jon, to launch the Make the Difference Network, a cause-oriented social network that's designed to connect nonprofit organizations with caring (and preferably deep-pocketed) individuals and businesses.
Sort of like MySpace, without the potentially perv-attracting downside.
Already 150 nonprofit organizations and counting have signed on, as have a handful of celebs who are showcasing their pet causes. In addition to Biel, Dwayne "Don't Call Me the Rock" Johnson, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Gabrielle Union and Karolina Kurkova are featured on the site.
Sightings: Hilton, Hines and Union
NOT SO SWEET: Nicky Hilton, enjoying an iced vanilla latte with no sugar at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in West Hollywood.
ROCK SOLID: Chris Rock and his wife, Malaak, along with their daughters, shopping at the Grove mall in L.A.
FLIGHT PATTERN: Gabrielle Union, lugging her luggage through LAX airport before finding the friend who was picking her up.
BIG HIT: Freddie Prinze Jr., sporting a black Kangol, sitting ringside at Izod Center for WWE's Monday Night Raw in New Jersey.
LUNCHABLES: Aisha Tyler, having lunch at the new Kokomo Cafe in L.A. the day after Jason Schwartzman was doing the same.
SHORT ORDER: Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, enjoying appetizers at Dakota at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel before going upstairs to a private party in a penthouse suite.
FESTIVAL LIGHTS: Cheryl Hines and William H. Macy, toasting their new movie Bart Got a Room at the Cadillac Lounge at Tenjune nightclub after a screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.
BANK HEIST: Wilmer Valderrama, partying with Criss Angel at the Bank Nightclub at Las Vegas’ Bellagio.
COMING UP BOYS ROOM: Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart, Justin Chambers, Jason Lewis and Brad Rowe are expected at the Saks Fifth Avenue men’s store tonight in Beverly Hills for Chrysalis’ Shop for a Cause benefit.