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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Ex-Director Accused of Holding Movie Hostage

LOS ANGELES (CN) - GDSM Productions says its former director and producer for the film "Little Fish Strange Pond" are "holding the movie hostage" after GDSM fired the husband and wife team when their performance "fell severely below industry standards."

GDSM says the court should make Gregory Dark, the movie's director, and Sharlotte Blake, producer, hand over the movie so that the company can distribute it and recoup its investment. The couple allegedly has no legal hold over the film.

David Kravis and Margo Kravis, the owners of GDSM, say they formed the company with the defendants in 2006, but secured all funding for "Little Fish" on their own. GDSM claims that the couples agreed that the company, and not the owners themselves, would retain the rights to the movie.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants completed filming of the movie, which starred Matthew Modine and Adam Baldwin, but were incapable of properly editing the footage. Instead of hiring an experienced editor, as the parties' contract called for, Dark installed the inexperienced Blake as his assistant. Because of the defendants' alleged failure, both Sundance and the South by Southwest film festivals declined to feature "Little Fish."

The defendants also wasted money on unnecessary equipment, voice-overs, extra cast and crew members, re-writes and pick-up shots, GDSM says.

Finally, Blake failed to get signed talent agreements or record deal memos, allegedly jeopardizing distribution of the film.

GDSM is represented in Superior Court by Oliver Taillieu.

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