‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ screenwriter sues biopic’s producers over revenue claims

By ANI

WASHINGTON: The 2018 launched musical drama biopic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ had grossed greater than USD 900 million on the world field workplace, nevertheless, its screenwriter has stated that he didn’t see a penny of web proceeds as a result of he was advised the movie truly misplaced USD 51 million.

According to Variety, Anthony McCarten, a London-based novelist and playwright who additionally wrote the scripts for ‘Darkest Hour’ and ‘The Theory of Everything’, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that he’s the most recent sufferer of studio accounting.

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ narrated the story of the band Queen and its frontman, Freddie Mercury. The movie price about USD 55 million to supply, which would seem to make it extremely worthwhile. But the swimsuit contends that Twentieth Century Fox, the distributor and co-producer on the movie, has used accounting gimmicks to keep away from paying.

“If net proceeds don’t pay out on a low-budget film that does nearly a billion dollars at the box office, then they never will,” the swimsuit states.

McCarten is suing GK Films, the manufacturing firm that developed the movie, and with whom he signed his contract. The swimsuit alleges that McCarten is owed 5 per cent of the movie’s web proceeds, however that Fox has improperly substituted its personal definition of that time period.

GK Films, led by producer Graham King, is an impartial firm with a observe document of financing main movies together with ‘Gangs of New York’ and ‘Hugo’. According to the criticism, the corporate has a fame for providing decrease upfront charges in alternate for a extra beneficial definition of backend income.

The swimsuit states that McCarten was annoyed together with his low charge for writing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and at one level known as Denis O’Sullivan, an government on the firm.

“The number is what it is,” O’Sullivan advised the screenwriter, in accordance with the swimsuit, “but Graham wants me to tell you that as he did with Cameron Diaz on ‘Gangs of New York,’ he will take care of you in success.”

According to the criticism, McCarten anticipated that GK Films’ definition of web proceeds would resemble the movie’s precise web proceeds and that he wouldn’t be topic to conventional huge studio accounting, which might erase any obvious income by tacking on charges.

GK Films teamed with Fox in 2016 to co-produce and distribute the movie, which starred Rami Malek and was directed by Bryan Singer. The movie was launched in 2018 and gained 4 Academy Awards, together with greatest actor for Malek.

McCarten did obtain bonuses primarily based on the field workplace efficiency of the movie. But as for “net proceeds,” he has acquired two accounting statements from Fox. The first, in April 2019, claimed that the movie had misplaced USD 105 million, whereas the second, in July 2021, claimed it had misplaced solely USD 51 million, in accordance with the swimsuit.

As per Variety, McCarten has alleged that GK Films has allowed Fox to make use of Fox’s definition of web proceeds, however that McCarten has by no means truly seen that definition or consented to it.