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

Producer Wants in on ‘The Crow’ Sequel

LOS ANGELES (CN) - The producer of "The Crow" movie and TV franchise is entitled to work on a proposed "Crow V" movie, he claims in court.

"The Crow" came out in theaters in 1994, despite the death of its star Brandon Lee, son of the late martial arts legend Bruce Lee, who was accidentally shot on set in 1993.

Three sequels have been released: "The Crow: City of Angels"; "The Crow: Salvation"; and "The Crow: Wicked Prayer", that last one in 2005. The television series "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven," ran for 22 episodes in 1998 and 1999.

Jeff Most says he and his production company Jeff Most Productions were heavily involved in producing Crow I through IV, and in the TV series, but he has not received profit-sharing payments for at least four years.

Most says that he was to be notified if defendants Sammyjack Productions and Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation, which own rights to the Crow franchise, intended to produce a sequel.

"Paragraph 20 of the Crow IV agreement provides that for a period of seven years from the release of Crow IV, if there is an election to produce any remake, sequel or prequel of Crow IV, i.e., an election to produce a Crow V movie, plaintiffs are entitled to a right of first negotiation to serve as a producer on the film, and to receive a salary for such services to be negotiated in good faith, with a floor of $400,000," according to his Monday complaint in Superior Court.

"Plaintiffs' rights under paragraph 20 of the Crow IV agreement are 'pay or play,' meaning plaintiffs are entitled to be compensated even if any entity producing Crow V opts to not use plaintiffs in a production capacity."

Most says the defendants intend to produce a Crow V movie, with a $70 million budget. According to press reports in 2011, Crow V was to star Bradley Cooper and be directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, neither of whom are parties to the lawsuit.

Most says Sammyjack and Edward Pressman failed to notify him of the plans, resulting in a 2013 lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. The parties agreed in April 2014 to a tolling agreement for two years and the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, according to the new complaint.

Those two years are over, and Most says he wants in on the action.

"An election was made and plaintiffs remain ready, willing and able to render their production services to the Crow V film and to perform their obligations under the terms of the agreement," Most says in the complaint.

He seeks compensatory and punitive damages for breach of contract, breach of faith, and an accounting.

He is represented by Richard Rosenthal and Valentina Kudryavtseva, of Beverly Hills.

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