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

Tommy Lee Jones Sues Paramount For $10 Million

SAN ANTONIO (CN) - Tommy Lee Jones claims Paramount Pictures used Hollywood accounting to cheat him of more than $10 million it owes him for appearing in and promoting "No Country For Old Men." Jones played Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in the movie based on Cormac McCarthy's best-selling novel. He says he agreed to take reduced up-front payment in exchange for "significant" "back-end" money if the movie was successful, which it was, earning more than $160 million at the box office.

The complaint states: "In December 2007, Defendants first asserted to Plaintiffs that the Contract contained an alleged 'mistake' involving a major issue involving the deduction for home video expenses. Critically, Defendants recently revealed that they were aware of the alleged 'mistake' before signing the Contract, before Plaintiff completed rendering services under the Contract, and before the Picture became a financial success. Later, on or about January 10, 2008 - well after Plaintiffs' acting services for the Picture were fully performed under the Contract, after Plaintiffs had performed the marketing and promotion for the Picture, after the Picture was already playing in theaters, after critics had already evaluated the Picture, after the Picture was being considered for awards, and after the Picture was projected to exceed over (sic) $100 million in box-office revenue - Defendants first contended that a second 'mistake' existed regarding the payment of box-office bonuses formula in the Contract. To date, Defendants have failed and refused to pay Plaintiffs the amounts due under the Contract and, consequently, have failed and refused to honor the Contract as written. ... Defendants have deprived Plaintiffs of over $10 million".

Joining Jones as plaintiff is Javelina Film Co. They are represented by Ricardo Cedillo with Davis Cedillo & Mondoza.

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