The big green monster will be returning to US theaters come 2014, but the path paved for his return has been well, a tad earth-shaking! First the bad news. The initial producers Godzilla 2014 were let go by Legendary Pictures and are now suing the latter. The LA Times reports that:
Dan Lin and Roy Lee, along with Lee’s partner Doug Davison, filed a lawsuit against Legendary on Thursday after they were removed from the project earlier this month. The complaint filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles claims that they were paid only $25,000 after bringing the “Godzilla” project to Legendary after being promised a much more lucrative deal for their ongoing services.In a filing last week seeking that the dispute be sent to arbitration, Burbank-based Legendary said the trio “offered little to the ongoing production of the film.” The company decided to remove them, paying only a small “development fee.”
The lawsuit also names Legendary President Jon Jashni as a defendant, accusing him of fraud for his role in the 2010 oral agreement, including an email to Lee and Lin in which he allegedly wrote that if the duo secured the “Godzilla” rights for Legendary, “You know you and your partners will be well treated throughout.”
Instead, the complaint alleges, “Whether out of greed or to show some sort of creative dominance over cross-complainants or merely due to the whim of Legendary’s CEO Thomas Tull, Legendary decided to turn its promise that Lin, Lee and Davison would be ‘well treated throughout’ on its head.”
…..
At the center of the legal battle is a disagreement over what contract governs the producers’ work. In their complaint, Lin, Lee and Davison say they reached an oral agreement with Legendary that would pay them $1.3 million or 3% of the film’s gross receipts — whichever was higher — along with the $25,000 development fee. They were also to have the right to produce any sequels.
Legendary says in its complaint that the relevant agreement is a written one that its lawyers provided to the producers in 2011. That contract allows the company to remove the trio from “Godzilla” before production began with no payment beyond the development fee.
Although Lin, Lee, and Davison never signed the contract, Legendary says it is enforceable because they never objected and continued work for more than a year after it was submitted.
The written contract stipulates that any dispute would be resolved in arbitration instead of court.
In more possibly positive news(this time), Stereoscopy News reports that Frank Darabont(of The Walking Dead TV series on AMC) will be finalizing the script.
In addition, The Huffington Post reports that:
Warner Bros. reportedly looked at Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Henry Cavill, Caleb Landry Jones and Scoot McNairy to play the lead role in “Godzilla,”
Levitt has since turned down the role. So who will take the lead?
The big green monster will be returning to US theaters come 2014, but the path paved for his return has been well, a tad earth-shaking! First the bad news. The initial producers Godzilla 2014 were let go by Legendary Pictures and are now suing the latter. The LA Times reports that:
In a filing last week seeking that the dispute be sent to arbitration, Burbank-based Legendary said the trio "offered little to the ongoing production of the film." The company decided to remove them, paying only a small "development fee."
The lawsuit also names Legendary President Jon Jashni as a defendant, accusing him of fraud for his role in the 2010 oral agreement, including an email to Lee and Lin in which he allegedly wrote that if the duo secured the "Godzilla" rights for Legendary, "You know you and your partners will be well treated throughout."
Instead, the complaint alleges, "Whether out of greed or to show some sort of creative dominance over cross-complainants or merely due to the whim of Legendary's CEO Thomas Tull, Legendary decided to turn its promise that Lin, Lee and Davison would be 'well treated throughout' on its head."
.....
At the center of the legal battle is a disagreement over what contract governs the producers' work. In their complaint, Lin, Lee and Davison say they reached an oral agreement with Legendary that would pay them $1.3 million or 3% of the film's gross receipts -- whichever was higher -- along with the $25,000 development fee. They were also to have the right to produce any sequels.
Legendary says in its complaint that the relevant agreement is a written one that its lawyers provided to the producers in 2011. That contract allows the company to remove the trio from "Godzilla" before production began with no payment beyond the development fee.
Although Lin, Lee, and Davison never signed the contract, Legendary says it is enforceable because they never objected and continued work for more than a year after it was submitted.
The written contract stipulates that any dispute would be resolved in arbitration instead of court.
In addition, The Huffington Post reports that:
The rumor I have read is that Warners wants this to be their "Transformers" -- a "silly" franchise that they can a make big, effects-laden, summer tentpole franchise out of. I'm all for a new Amerigoji film, but it's going to be a hard road to get the hardcore daikaiju fans on board -- especially after the very positive response to what we have seen so far with Pacific Rim. You can't just throw a big CG monster on the screen and call it Godzilla like we got in 1998.
Does anybody really give a rats ass who the male lead is? Do yourself a favor Warner brothers and hire a nobody and save a few million.
Or something along those lines anyway.
Please don't let this turn into a cash in franchise...
Considering that Warners' previous genre franchise is finished with no real possibility of being restarted any time soon (Harry Potter), if this film is successful it will most likely become their new one. It's an incredibly recognizable property that lends itself well to effects-heavy productions.
Of course, it has to be a success, first. That remains to be seen.
As long as it's not a giant cg iguana,I'll watch it.The reason I didn't like Zilla is cause he's too small,nimble,and quick.Also no radioactive breath.Godzilla always needs to be a huge,lumbering force of destruction.The only story needed is the citizens of whatever city is being destroyed at the time finding a way to stop him.Not a big plot twist at the end where Zilla lays eggs....literally and figuratively.
Godzilla: The Series showed us that Zilla/GINO was a fine monster. Just not Godzilla in any sense of the word.
Keep reading: Godzilla 2014 - Frank Darabont Finalizing Script, Legendary Pictures Sued & More - Page 2
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