Eva Green Wins Court Case Over Collapsed Sci-Fi Film ‘A Patriot’

Zac Ntim
·2 min read
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Actress Eva Green has won her high court case in the UK against White Lantern and SMC Speciality Finance over the collapse of the sci-fi film A Patriot.

The case stems from the collapse of the UK project in late 2019, which Green was due to star in and executive-produce. The case was essentially about determining which party was to blame for the collapse, with both parties having competing narratives on the issue.

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Green, whose credits include 2006’s Casino Royale and Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City, claimed she was entitled to a $1M fee she agreed to at the outset of the project, arguing that since she had a “pay or play” contract she was owed the money regardless of the film’s collapse before cameras rolled.

In a judgment Friday morning, Justice Michael Green ruled in Green’s favor, stating that she was entitled to the $1M fee, and dismissed the productions counter-claim, PA reported.

“In particular, I find that Ms. Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it,” the judge said, according to PA.

In original court filings, Green set out her breach of contract claim against the producers, which included various concerns about the “disorganized and shambolic” pre-production. She claimed that the initial budget of €10M ($10.8M) was halved and was a “hopelessly inadequate amount” to make the film.

White Lantern alleged that the actress’s conduct was unreasonable and in breach of her contractual obligations, so was not entitled to her fee. According to their pleading, the producer and financier SMC allege Green had no intention of completing the production and they counterclaimed for millions in losses allegedly caused by Green’s conduct.

As part of its evidence, White Lantern lent on messages sent by Green which it unearthed via a court-ordered discovery process. The email and Whatsapp messages revealed that Green called one producer a ‘f***ing moron” and the financial backers “a-holes.” She also jokingly referred to herself as “Cruella” when discussing the production team.

Green vehemently denied the allegations that she derailed the movie. Her lawyers previously said: “Ms. Green was at all times ready to perform her contract, and she remained willing and able to proceed in reliance thereon. It was the bridge financiers and White Lantern who unilaterally shut down the production in early October 2019.”

A Patriot was also due to star Charles Dance and Helen Hunt.

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