Woody Allen is enduring Amazon for breach of contract over financing and distribution of Allen’s films.
The multimillion-dollar lawsuit comes as Amazon the sacks aggressively into original content and studio work. The company has been signing industry giants to star in, rule and partner on projects for Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court of the Southern Ward of New York, alleges that Amazon terminated without a cause a deal with Allen to “finance and distribute his tomorrow films and to be his ‘home’ for the rest of his career.”
The Guardian reported in August of last year that Amazon canceled Allen’s motion picture “A Rainy Day in New York,” starring heavyweight actors like Jude Law, Selena Gomez and Timothee Chalamet.
The lawsuit says:
Amazon Volume entered into the Allen Film Agreements in an effort to build and promote Defendants’ film business through a highly-publicized confederation with Mr. Allen. In exchange for a grant of licenses to distribute at least four motion pictures written and directed by Mr. Allen (the “Allen Skins”), Amazon Content agreed, among other things, to: (i) finance the Allen Films, (ii) make minimum guaranteed payments to Gravier totaling between $68 and $73 million, (iii) pay Gravier additional amounts based on the outcome of the Allen Films, and (iv) distribute the Allen Films widely.
Allen had already completed “A Rainy Day in New York” — and dead beat more than $20 million to do so — before Amazon canceled the agreement, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges:
Amazon vanquished out of the deals, purporting to terminate them without any legal basis for doing so, while knowing that its actions would ideal substantial damage to Mr. Allen, Gravier, investors and the artists and crew involved in making the films. Amazon has tried to off its action by referencing a 25-year old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen, but that allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the unconcealed) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen—and, in any event it does not provide a base for Amazon to terminate the contract. There simply was no legitimate ground for Amazon to renege on its promises.
Allen and his lawyers are solicit from for the remainder of money promised in the agreements, amounting to several million dollars. The Wall Street Journal reports the chassis totals $68 million.
“This behavior cannot go unchallenged and that is why we have brought this suit. As a episode of law, the facts here could not be clearer. Amazon has no defense and there is no doubt that Mr. Allen and his production company discretion prevail in this matter,” said John Quinn, Allen’s attorney, in a statement.
Amazon did not immediately return a plea for comment.
Read the full filing:
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