Movies
Adrien Brody Suing to Stop ‘Giallo’ Release!
Adrien Brody doesn’t want anybody to see his work in the Italian horror flick Giallo, which is scheduled to be released tomorrow on DVD. Brody has sued for $3 million and is attempting to stop the film’s release, not because the film bombed with critics or never got released theatrically in the U.S. (although that may be true as well), but rather because he alleges that producers lied to him in order to stop him from walking off the set. More inside.
The Oscar-winning actor allegedly signed a “pay or play” deal to star in “Giallo,” directed by Italian horror king Dario Argento. About a week into production, Brody says he discovered the film was underfunded and that producers had failed to pay $640,000 into an escrow account.
Brody was prepared to walk, but was allegedly told that the film had new guaranteed funding lined up from a $2 million sale of Italian distribution rights. Producers allegedly asked Brody to sign a new agreement whereby he would continue to act and temporarily defer his $640,000 in exchange for having the “absolute right to withhold consent to the use of his likeness in the Picture” until he was paid in full.
Brody says in a lawsuit filed on on Thursday in federal court in California that he was never paid and that the story of new funding was “phony.” When Brody attempted to exercise his rights to hold back the picture, producers allegedly ignored him and said that they would never pay him.
The actor wants a permanent injunction against distribution of the film as well as the $640,000 he’s owed, plus $2 million more for breach of contract, breach of fair dealing, fraud, and misappropriation of his publicity rights.
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”