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

Talk About a Hollywood Mom

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A family claims Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer owes them money for rights to their life story, in which the parents had their son "kidnapped" and taken to an "island boot camp for the rehabilitation of troubled teens."

The Noonan family claims that in August 2000 they "entered into a written life story rights agreement with various third party film producers to potentially make a film about this ..."

"This," or "the Agreement," according to the Superior Court complaint, was: "As a result of the child being a troubled teenager, the mother and father arranged to have him 'kidnapped' and taken to an island boot camps for the rehabilitation of troubled teens."

The Noonans - Thomas, Sandra and Travis - say, "The Agreement provided that the plaintiffs would be paid $35,000 if a film was produced ' ... regarding the story of the Noonans' lives and experiences ...'" (First ellipsis in complaint.)

The Noonans say MGM hired a writer to draft the story in 2001. "The draft involved troubled teens being sent to a rehabilitation boot camp on a remote island - with the central plot being about a girl sent to the camp, the boy love interest who goes there to rescue her, and their ultimate escape."

They say MGM released that movie, called "Boot Camp," in 2009, but the Noonans were not aware of it until this year. And MGM has "failed and refused to pay any money to plaintiffs."

The Noonans want the money, with interest, and costs, for breach of contract. They are represented by Brian Rishwain.

Follow @jamierossCNS
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