Producers of Canceled Amazon David O. Russell Series Suing The Weinstein Company
The downfall of Harvey Weinstein has also shuttered a number of projects related to The Weinstein Company, including a two-season Amazon order for David O. Russell’s new drama with Robert De Niro. Production never got off the ground, but the associated studio is now suing The Weinstein Company for millions in damages.
The $160 million drama came under review when allegations against Harvey Weinstein first broke, and Amazon ultimately opted to scrap the project. Matt Weiner drama The Romanoffs similarly cut off Weinstein Company funding, but was allowed to continue production. That said, EMJAG Productions has filed suit against The Weinstein Company for fraud and breach of contract, potentially totaling over $2 million in damages. Here’s the complaint from husband-and-wife producers Scott Lambert and Alexandra Milchan, who developed the project with Russell from the start (h/t Deadline):
TWC had lured Plaintiffs into a trap. Unknown to Plaintiffs, TWC’s former co-chairman, Harvey Weinstein, had engaged in multiple acts of sexual misconduct. This misconduct — which TWC knew very well, but concealed from the Plaintiffs — was effectively a ticking time bomb. In October 2017, the time bomb exploded with the revelation of Weinstein’s sordid history of sex abuse. The Project was one of its casualties, as Amazon, seeking to distance itself from Weinstein, withdrew from the Project. TWC then withheld the compensation that it had promised to pay to Plaintiffs.
The total damages include back-end profits, the duo’s costs in relocating to New York, episodic compensation and a development fee. The Weinstein Company has not yet responded to the lawsuit, but their legal department is admittedly busy these days. Stay tuned for all the latest details in the meantime.
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