Actor Gerard Butler has reached a settlement in his lawsuit regarding claims he’s owed approximately $10 million in profits from 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen,” and it’s subsequent sequels. Specifics on the settlement have not been disclosed at this time. But defendants Nu Image and Millennium Media notified the court of a settlement, that requires the completion of some terms within 45 days.
The lawsuit was filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2021 by Butler and his production company, G-Base Entertainment. This suit claims producers earned tens of millions of dollars from the movie but refused to pay Butler his share. Butler believed this is a “comprehensive, premeditated scheme” designed to “grossly misrepresent the finances of the film.”
Butler’s deal for “Olympus Has Fallen” had him starring and producing. Under a contract, he was to receive box office bonuses, 6% of domestic revenue, 2% of foreign revenue, and 10% of net profits. All of which he claims he never received for the film.
An audit revealed Nu Image and Millennium Media understated their receipts and profits by over $11 million. This included a failure to report approximately $8 million in payments to their senior executives. The companies also allegedly understated the domestic revenue by over $17.5 million. Deducted residuals were also never paid. This also implicated the crew’s healthcare eligibility, among other things.
The lawsuit went on to claim the distribution agreements were fraudulently structured. Making it so distributors didn’t have to report all gross receipts. “Producers instructed those distributors to deduct certain amounts from the grosses they would report to Producers,” the complaint stated. “Producers, in turn, did not include these deducted amounts in the financial information provided to Butler.”
This alleged scheme to misrepresent profits on “Olympus Has Fallen,” involved entering agreements that were designed to undermine producers’ ability to account to and pay Butler properly. “Producers then reneged on their promise to have certain of those third party distributors account to and pay Butler directly. This allowed Producers to control and manipulate how they would report the Film’s proceeds to Butler.”
Butler also pointed out that there is also a legal battle between the producers and the Directors Guild of America. This litigation also alleges the companies’ failure to report profits threatening the healthcare eligibility of the movie’s director and assistant directors. If these allegations are also true, it would show a pattern in the companies’ business practices.
Overall, Butler’s lawsuit made claims of fraud, breach of contract, and intentional interference with contractual relations, among other things. Nu Image and Millennium Media argued that can only advance a breach of contract claim in the absence of false representations that Butler relied on to back up a claim of fraud. A trial was supposed to take place in January 2024.
“Olympus Has Fallen,” has grossed at least $170 million worldwide. However, producers represented that the movie has earned less than $100,000 in domestic revenue. While pulling in less than $320,000 in foreign revenue from 2019 to 2021. As you can see those numbers clearly don’t add up.
While squabbles over millions from big-name celebrities like Butler may sound like champagne problems. This complaint does speak to a larger issue within the industry. Keep in mind that a huge sticking point of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing strike is a lack of transparency around disclosing profits. An issue that makes fair compensation almost impossible, which affects performers at every level.
