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Producer Sues 'John Wick' Firm Over Hijacked Stars
16 Jul
Summary
- Producer claims 'John Wick' company cut him out of actor deals.
- A $850K producer fee was allegedly promised but not paid.
- Two films were allegedly developed using the same source material.
Producer Arthur Sarkissian has filed a lawsuit against Basil Iwanyk and his company, Thunder Road Films, alleging a significant betrayal. Sarkissian claims Thunder Road sabotaged a film project he had been developing for years, which was intended to star Donnie Yen.
He asserts that after investing heavily in rewriting the script for Yen, Thunder Road allegedly dangled a more lucrative offer for Yen to star in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.' This move, Sarkissian claims, effectively killed his original project.
The lawsuit further details how the project was later revived as 'The Mother,' with Michelle Yeoh attached and generating substantial international presales. Sarkissian states he was promised an $850,000 producer fee and had even selected a director.
However, the project reportedly stalled when Yeoh declined the role, which was subsequently offered to Jennifer Lopez. Sarkissian alleges Thunder Road assured him they were working to salvage the film while secretly seeking alternative scripts.
Ultimately, the search led to another Yeoh action film, 'The Surgeon.' Sarkissian claims that despite his prior involvement and promises, his expected payment was withheld, leading him to sue for breach of contract and unfair profit.
