'The British Patient' Producer Saul Zaentz Sues Disney, Miramax for $20 Million (Exclusive)

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images The Saul Zaentz Co., producer from the 1996 best picture champion The British Patient, has prosecuted distributor Miramax and it is former owner the Wally Disney Co. for $20 million in profits in the hit drama. The suit, filed Thursday in La Superior Court, alleges a years-lengthy plan among Miramax, then run by Harvey Weinstein, and it is former owner Disney to cover revenue, incorrectly allocate and subtract expenses and costs and participate in self-dealing regarding the film. British Patient made a lot more than $300 million worldwide, additionally to sweeping the Oscars in 1996. "Even today, regardless of the positive results from the film, [Zaentz] hasn't even received from Miramax payment sufficient to recoup [Zaentz's] costs of creating The British Patient," the suit alleges. It states Miramax has stored hundreds of huge amount of money which was supposed to visit Zaentz. This isn't the very first time Zaentz has prosecuted within the film. The dispute continues to be happening for any decade, and Zaentz prosecuted in 2006, making similar arguments according to an audit from the film's books and records. But that situation was ignored in 2008 and also the new suit states the parties have experienced a tolling agreement (to avoid statute of restrictions issues) in position. The suit alleges a conspiracy "to help keep the image inside a paper loss position to ensure that regardless of how much cash The Engligh Patient gained, Miramax and Disney would reap all the profits while" Zaentz would not be part of the success. Zaentz states his company ponied up $15.75 million in the own money and deferred compensation to find the film made and also got assurances from Miramax it would obtain a better profits definition than the usual standard deal. The offer allegedly gave Zaentz 10% of modified gross receipts, which rose to fifteenPercent after break-even, plus 60% of internet profits. However, Zaentz states Miramax later attempted to keep his company to some a smaller amount favorable profits definition and it has been reluctant to create credits. Disney offered Miramax this year to several traders including businessman Ron Tutor and Colony Capital. Weinstein had left the organization years before to begin the Weinstein Co. The suit, filed by Marty Singer at Lavely & Singer, alleges reasons for action including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and seeks an accounting and declaratory relief. We've arrived at to Disney for comment. Email: Matthew.Belloni@thr.com

Summit Uncover Area 52

Cult comics series picked up for screenLooking to go one better than Oren Peli's still not-yet-released Area 51, Summit Entertainment have snapped up the rights to Area 52, the comics series published by Image.Written by Brian Haberlin with art by Clayton Henry, the 2001 mini-series involved Corporal Monica Lane being dispatched to a remote Arctic outpost which, it turns out, is where the US military dump things they don't understand. It's considered the most boring job imaginable... until things start to get odd and "an alien killing machine" is hatched.Lazy comparisons ahoy: film-wise then it's potentially a bit likeThe Thing, but with its characters a hapless bunch of misfits shipped to the arse-end of nowhere for various embarrassing or politically convenient reasons, there's room for some humour too.Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian (Transformers, Red) are producing, and will be taking Area 52 "out to writers" shortly.

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First Poster for Steven Spielberg Oscar Contender 'War Horse' Arrives

Call it the mane event. (GROAN!) The good folks at EW have premiered the first poster for 'War Horse,' the looming, Steven Spielberg-directed Best Picture frontrunner, and the artwork highlights what really counts in the World War I tale: a boy and his horse. (The use of "tale" wasn't intended as a pun.) Check out the poster ahead. 'War Horse' is out in theaters on Dec. 28. [via EW]

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Empire's Dragon Tattoo Cover

Rooney Mara & Difficulties arriveIt's that time again, time for just about any glorious new Empire cover being revealed.Which month we're going dark and twisted with David Fincher's The GirlWithThe Dragon Tattoo, with DanielCraig and Rooney Mara going in the forefront.The film is, when you are all aware, the variation in the to start Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, withRooney Mara as hacker Lisbeth Salander and DanielCraig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist. David Fincher's pointing, as well as the cast includes the not-inconsiderable likes of ChristopherPlummer, RobinWright, Stellan Skarsgard, JoelyRichardson, Julian Sands, Embeth Davidtz and Geraldine James.Our Nev Pierce asked all people involved and visited the set to produce everyone the newest round the film, but here's merely a taster from the products Fincher needed to say of Salander herself."There has been discussions in the beginning where everybody was like, 'She's a hero!A And you also go, 'No, she's not. Superheroes live in a whole lot of good and evil, and she's a lot more complex when compared to a superhero. She's been compromised. She's been subjugated. She's been marginalised. She's been taken into the gutter and she's stood a part within it. She dresses like trash because she's anyone who has been betraued and hurt badly, by forces beyond her control, that she's just made a decision being refuse. She'll sit anywhere sherrrd like round the bus, because nobody wants to handle her."The GirlWith The Dragon Tattoo is going on Boxing Day here, which will help counter any excess jollity you've experienced over Christmas, but still moment the most effective films of year. The November problem of Empire hits stores on Thursday.

Ruzanna Kegeyan and John Short Join Hyde Park International

Ruzanna Kegeyan and John Short have been added toHyde Park International as the company's president and vice president, respectively.The execs will oversee international sales for the outfit, aHyde Park Entertainment Group subsidiary. Current president Mimi Steinbauer steps down October 3 to launch her own independent international sales company.CFOBob Lewishas extended his contract with the company through 2016.Joe D'Angelowill also join the international sales and marketing team. "I am thrilled to have Ruzanna join us at Hyde Park," said chairman and CEOAshok Amritraj. "Her international experience and professionalism perfectly represents the way I conduct my business. She and John will make a terrific sales team. I wish Mimi the best of luck with her new company. I have enjoyed working with her over the last few years and we will miss her." Kegeyan was previously executive vp of worldwide sales and acquisitions for IM Global.Short most recently served as vp of YFG International.At the upcoming American Film Market,the new team will shop the features Jayne Mansfield's Car,starring Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duvall; The Bleeder, starring Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts; Richard Linklater's Bernie; Blue Valentine; and Our Idiot Brother. Hyde Park's current slate includes Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 3D and The Double, which opens October 28. Related Topics

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Apple pulls iPad game

"Iron Sky" Apple has taken an unlicensed iPad game out of its iTunes stores worldwide after the producers of upcoming Nazis-on-the-moon spoof, "Iron Sky," complained about copyright infringement.The creative team behind the Finnish-German-Australian dark sci-fi comedy complained to Apple after finding an iPad game based on their film. "The game was published under the name of the film and used the back story, the tagline and even some space ship and actor likenesses taken from 'Iron Sky's' marketing material," spokesman Janos Honkonen said Friday. "The creator of the game, Ziiso, was not licensed to use any of these intellectual properties."Apple pulled the game two days after it was contacted by producers who proved they owned the copyright.Timo Vuorensola, director of the $10 million, part fan-financed film, added, "We are happy with how quickly Apple reacted to our complaint, and that our fans won't be tricked to sending money to this company anymore, thinking that their contribution will help us make this film.""Iron Sky," he added, is doing "pioneering work in crowd funding and crowdsourcing" with more than 10% of the film's budget coming from fans via investments, merchandise sales and fan service subscriptions. The film is in post production and due for release in April. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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Magnolia acquires 'The Hunter'

Magnolia Pictures has tracked down ''The Hunter,'' acquiring US rights to the wilderness drama after its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Deal was announced Friday in Toronto, where the pic -- directed by Daniel Nettheim and written by Alice Addison -- had drawn a significant level of interest following its Sept. 9 preem.''The Hunter,'' based on the novel by author/filmmaker Julia Leigh, stars Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, and Frances O'Connor. Vincent Sheehan (''Animal Kingdom'') of Porchlight Films produced.Magnolia is planning a release next year via its Ultra VOD program.Pic was shot in Tasmania. Defoe portrays a mercenary hired by a bio-tech firm to track down a rare, possibly extinct animal called the Tasmanian Tiger in the remote and untouched wilderness."The Hunter" is Magnolia's third acquisition at TIFF, following the deals for Michael Dowse's "Goon" and Bobcat Goldthwait's "God Bless America" for its genre arm, Magnet.The deal was negotiated for Magnolia by SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley, Director of Acquisitions Peter Van Steemburg and Head of Legal and Business Affairs Chris Matson. UTA Independent Film Group and eOne negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers. eOne is handling worldwide sales outside Australia and has acquired the pic for Canada. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Springsteen, Stewart join 'Heroes' benefit

The NY Comedy Festival has arranged comics and entertainers from Jon Stewart to Bruce Springsteen because of its annual charitable organisation benefit, "Operate for Heroes," benefitting the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The slate for that evening -- November. 9 at 8 p.m. -- includes Jim Gaffigan, Ough Gervais, and also the Max Weinberg Large Band. Some of the current crop are regulars in the gala Springsteen memorably performed "IncreasingInch after which sold from the guitar (along with a promise to sign and inscribe it) for $50,000 in 2008. Arises from the evening visit benefit hurt veterans. This is the 5th year for "Operate for Heroes." NYCF is created by Carolines On Broadway and Comedy Central. Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Iranian TV Restrictions Shirtless Males, Provocative Love Tales

Iranian condition TV just received way less sexy with a brand new prohibit on "half-naked males" and provocative love tales.our editor recommends'Daily Show' comedy becomes Iran spy drama'Horse' cast, crew hurt in Iran bombing The Connected Press reviews that Iranian condition TV has already established a lengthy-standing prohibit on showing images of ladies not covered mind-to-foot in approved Islamic dress. However the new limitations extend that to males who may appear shirtless on television. Islamic religious leaders pressed for that new prohibit, that also attempts producers from showing showing males and ladies in close closeness to 1 other at places such as the office, wedding ceremonies or parties. The prohibit on provocative love tales, including love triangles, is believed to stem in the recognition from the recent Iranian cleaning soap opera, Forbidden Fruit, which featured a tale a good older guy who leaves his wife for any more youthful lady. Iranian satirist Pouria Alemi authored a column Tuesday within the professional-reform newspaper Eternaad mocking your decision and mentioning the only males proven shirtless on television have been in wrestling and swimming competitions. Many Iranians can easily see shows created outdoors Iran, however, through the assistance of satellite dishes, that are illegal in the united states. Related Subjects Worldwide

Exclusive: X-Men's Hellfire Club missed out on spin-off movie

The Hellfire Club from the X-Men comics almost had their own movie, according to X-Men: First Class producer Lauren Schuler Donner.Talking about their inclusion in X-Men: First Class, she revealed: "Bryan wanted to bring another element into it. I had always wanted to do the Hellfire Club because they're really fascinating. I almost wanted to spin them off into another movie. So I mentioned the Hellfire Club to him and he grabbed and said, 'That is a great idea.'"A movie based around some of the best comic-book supervillains sounds like a corking idea to TF, so what was the hold up?"It didn't get to script," Donner told TotalFilm.com. "It got to formulating who we would use and which story we would use because there's the whole Jean Grey part of the Hellfire story."Which would Donner have plumped for, given the option?"I like the whole Jean Grey involvement. I thought that was really interesting," she revealed.X-Men: First Class is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 9 September in the US and 31 October in the UK.

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Ron Howard to direct superhero drama 364?

Ron Howard influences frame to direct the film 364, with various script by Safe House author David Guggenheim.The film is occur a worldwide where super forces are dished out for starters day yearly - the quantity of the title means days an regular guy stays thinking about what he's going associated with people abilities.Universal pre-emptively bought the script with various pitch from Guggenheim.Guggenheim was formerly an editor at US Weekly but quit his job when he offered the script for Safe House, which has just wrapped and stars Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington.

Componen buys untitled teen ghost pic

Vital has bought an untitled teen ghost pic by "Sons of Anarchy" scribe Misha Eco-friendly. "I'm Legend" helmer Francis Lawrence will direct with Tim Kring and Erwin Stoff creating. Stoff offered the project to Vital and set the package together. Logline has been stored under systems. CAA reps Lawrence and Eco-friendly. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com