Coppola Settles Up
All together now…it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Francis Ford Coppola has resolved a lawsuit brought by a film production company that claimed it had been jilted out of its share of the profits from daughter Sofia’s directing debut, The Virgin Suicides.
Muse Productions sued the Oscar-winning Godfather director last November in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging breach of contract and demanding a full audit of the movie’s earnings.
According to the complaint, Coppola’s company, American Zoetrope, struck a deal with Muse in October 1997 that essentially cleared the film rights to the original Virgin Suicides book by Jeff Eugenides, in exchange for Muse receiving a percentage of the film’s revenue.
Muse’s lawyers submitted a two-page document to the court stating that a settlement had been reached. Terms were not disclosed, and neither side was available for comment.
Released in May 2000, The Virgin Suicides starred James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett and Danny DeVito and marked the first outing behind the camera for Sofia, who up until that point had been known mostly for her widely panned performance in The Godfather Part III.
The film grossed more than $10 million worldwide and, more importantly, paved the way for the younger Coppola’s Oscar-winning sophomore flick, Lost in Translation.
Court Ruling Saves Embarrassment for Britney Spears
Court Ruling Saves Embarrassment for Britney Spears
It’s no secret that Britney Spears has had a rough go at it in court. But in a surprising move, the Los Angeles Superior Court actually helped Brit maintain her dignity.
The LA court issued a 72-page document that chronicles her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. However, numerous pages of sensitive material were deleted and considered “sealed and removed.”
Why, you may ask? Apparently, the information contained in the deleted pages could have a negative effect on the “Gimme More” singer’s kids, Jayden James and Sean Preston.
Speculation is running rampant regarding the content of the missing content. Insiders are claiming the deleted pages contained information regarding Brit’s drug use and declarations from maids, drug testing officials, and other indiscretions.
Sean Penn & Robin Wright Stop Divorce Action
Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn have halted their divorce proceedings, court papers show.
In a one-page document filed Tuesday in Marin County Superior Court, the clerk dismissed the couple’s divorce petition at their request.
Penn, 47, and Wright Penn, 42, filed divorce papers in December after 11 years of marriage,.
Penn and his wife were also spotted at an Eddie Vedder concert in San Francisco Tuesday night, according to Extra, which first reported the withdrawal of divorce papers.
(Penn and Vedder are close pals, and Vedder wrote music for Penn’s movie Into the Wild.)
A rep for the actors declined to comment.
Penn initially filed for divorce from his wife on Dec. 7 in Marin County, Calif., Superior Court, though his petition was later dismissed. Three days later, Wright Penn filed her own paperwork. Their first hearing was scheduled for April 21.
The couple has two children, Hopper Jack, 14, and Dylan Frances, 17.