Robin Williams has launched a $6 million awsuit against Frank and Beans Prods. and Gold Circle Films, in an attempt to recover money allegedly owed to him as part of a pay-or-play deal on unproduced film, A Couple Of Dicks.
Williams had agreed to star in the private detective comedy last year, but was told in March that the shoot would not be going ahead and that his pay-or-play fee would not be forthcoming. The lawsuit, filed on Friday with L.A. Superior Court, states that Williams had been told it would start filming no later than April 15. He also, it is stated, had approval over his co-star (James Gandolfini) and the movie’s directors, Mark and Rob Cullen.
But the movie was placed into turnaround at Warner Bros. in March. Producer Mark Goldblatt is still working on the movie, which will now be retitled (given the problems Zack And Miri Make A Porno is having, changing the name of a movie with the word ‘Dicks’ in it is not a stupid move).
But Williams is insisting that the companies involved are obligated to pay him under the terms of a pay-or-play deal, which ties an actor into committing to a project for a specific timeframe, thus allowing funds to be raised for the movie off his name. If the movie isn’t made, the actor gets paid regardless.
Williams’ deal on A Couple Of Dicks came in the form of both an oral agreement and a signed deal memo, although he never signed a final contract, as is customary in these situations.