French actress Eva Green poses upon her arrival for the avant-premiere of the British-French television series developed for Apple TV+ "Liaison" at the Publicis Drugstore in Paris on February 12, 2023.
Eva Green, a French actress, won a High Court lawsuit in which she sought to recover her $1 million (£810,000) fee for a science-fiction movie that was never produced.
Conflict With Producers
During a bitter dispute with the film's producers, the Casino Royale star filed a lawsuit against White Lantern Film, claiming that she was owed the sum, BBC reported.
However, the production house allegedly said that Green made "unreasonable demands," which caused production delays on A Patriot movie. White Lantern testified that Green's demands on the crew, locations, and equipment were excessive and inconsistent with the film's budget.
The firm stated dissatisfaction with the court's decision and conclusions on Friday, April 28, adding that it is weighing its legal alternatives.
The verdict comes after a trial in January, during which Green's text messages calling one producer a "moron" and another "evil" were made public.
The court rejected the counterclaim brought by White Lantern, and the 42-year-old actress was awarded her money. Judge Justice Green said that contrary to what White Lantern had asserted, the actress had not renounced her responsibilities under the contract and had not engaged in any repudiatory violations.
"There is no doubt that Miss Green did not make any conclusive decision or statement that she would not comply with her obligations under the artist agreement. Nor could anyone have reasonably understood her to have made such a decision," the judge stated.
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Budget Constraints and Chaotic Preparations
Dan Pringle wrote the film and was set to direct it. According to Variety, he saw the project's funding dry up in 2019. Sherborne Media Finance stepped in to give a "bridge" loan, the majority of which went toward paying Green's fee, so that the production could get back on track and apply for permanent financing.
Sherborne was forced to produce the movie to recoup the loan money it had granted when the movie industry shifted, and financing became difficult to come by.
Green claims that to save funds, the studio moved production from one location to a studio and even suggested reusing props and sets from another television production. All of which would have resulted in a movie that could have been the end of Green's career.
Green reportedly told the court she was frustrated with producers after budget constraints caused production to shift from Ireland and that the preparations were chaotic.
She also criticized extremely dangerous stunt training cuts and crew that receive significantly below-industry pay. In another text message, Green called crew members "peasants," according to ABC News.
Green explained that she had nothing against peasants and only wanted to work with a high-quality crew.
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