Richard Donner Sues Millennium Films Over Unpaid Profit Participation
Veteran director Richard Donner sued Millennium Films on Wednesday, claiming he is owed $775,000 from the 2006 film “16 Blocks.”
Donner directed the film, which starred Bruce Willis as an NYPD cop who has to escort a witness to trial. Under his contract, Donner was entitled to receive 7.5% of the film’s domestic gross receipts.
According to the suit, Donner’s reps asked the defendants for a profit participation statement in September 2017, but did not hear back. They tried again in February, and a Millennium representative asked for more time, because “the employees that dealt with it in the past [were] no longer with the company.” The company indicated it would need to contact Warner Bros., which handled domestic distribution.
In June, Donner’s representatives obtained a profit participation statement sent by Warner Bros. to another company, which included figures for “16 Blocks.” According to the suit, that statement showed that Donner is owed $775,353.
Millennium’s attorneys sent a letter in August denying that they owe Donner anything, the suit alleges.
No one at Millennium was available to comment on Wednesday afternoon.
Donner sued under the name of his loan-out company, Bronx Parlor Frames & Son. Ltd. He is represented by Joseph Taylor, Jessica Medina and Mark Swiech of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
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