Did the Pythons take a funny position? In 1974, the iconic British comedy troupe Monty Python scored big with their breakout movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (herein, Grail), produced by Mark Forstater and others.  In 2005, they scored again, with Spamalot, the Broadway musical adaptation of Grail. When it came to profits of Grail, producer Forstater, under the contract, wasContinue reading "Spamalot Profits and the Holy Grail: What is a Python’s Share?"

Sometimes, financiers from outside the entertainment industry seem to think: “I’ve succeeded in [real estate, tech, oil, fill-in-the-blank]. So I can make money in movies.” Then, too often, they invest and fail. Their mistakes typically involve both their business plans and (yes) their metaphysics. Common mistakes include: (1) departing from the business plan without goodContinue reading "Motion Picture Investing: Avoiding Basic Mistakes"

Participation reporting for certain media and uses can be idiosyncratic. Multiple Choice Question: Cult phenomenon Napoleon Dynamite generated a phenomenal $139 million in DVD sales in its first few years of release.  What percentage of this amount did distributor Fox Searchlight share with the movie’s producers? A.  100%B.  31%C.  12.88%D.  10%E.  zero For the answer, keep reading.Continue reading "Napoleon Dynamite Litigation: Pick the Correct Video Royalty"

Eager buyers often overpay for entertainment assets.  Add a problematic earn-out1 and the possibility of overpayment increases. In the latest Guitar Hero case2, the problem was that an earn-out statement became final against Viacom, the purchaser of video game company Harmonix Music Systems, notwithstanding a sudden, rapid decline in the value of Harmonix’s game inventory. If you’re inContinue reading "Another $300 Million for Guitar Hero Purchase; When is a Statement Final?"

Iran is back, center stage…The diminutive president in the ill-fitting suits…The Supreme Leader with the hat and the beard . . . The techs, in lab coat, who are splitting the…ATOM ! What’s missing from this seemingly evergreen news story is a clear sense of what, behind the official façade, Iran is really like. OneContinue reading "Does America Bomb Academy Award Winners? Ten Things to Learn from Iran’s A Separation"

On June 21 of this year, a French court awarded Spike Lee and associated plaintiffs a judgment against French media giant TF1 in the amount of €32 million which, at current conversion rates, is approximately US $43 million.  The Court ruled that TF1 had wrongfully rejected delivery of Lee’s film Miracle At St. Anna (hereafter, Miracle), failedContinue reading "Spike Lee Wins €32 M Judgment vs French Media Giant TF1; Hidden Risks of Financing Auteur Filmmakers"

In an integrated production, distribution and broadcast company like ABC/Disney, which division makes the profits?1 Contestants who appear on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire play to win a million dollars.  Now Celador Productions, the show’s creator, has successfully upheld a jury verdict in its favor of more than $319 million against the ABC Network. Background InContinue reading "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

Court holds contract price should reflect absence of reversion clause.  Can someone who leaps tall buildings in a single bound lose value if sidelined? It’s not often that courts are called upon to place a value on a superhero.  And not just any superhero, but Superman himself, the ultimate icon of the American superhero genre. Background WhyContinue reading "What is Superman Really Worth?"

The film Push was the big prizewinner at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The Weinstein Company (TWC), after aggressive pursuit, thought they had a deal to distribute it. But when, instead, the film was sold to another film company, TWC brought a number of lawsuits, including one against the film’s financier (Weinstein Co. v. Smokewood Ent. Group, LLC, 2009Continue reading "Weinstein Co. vs Smokewood – Beware What You Argue, It May Come Back to Haunt You"