Quaid sues over 'Brokeback'
Quaid sues two execs
March 24, 2006
Randy Quaid sued Focus Features, "Brokeback Mountain" producer James Schamus and former Focus co-president David Linde for $10 million on Thursday for allegedly persuading him to effectively "donate" his performance in the film by claiming the project was going to be a low-budget art house project.
Quaid, in the Los Angeles Superior Court filing, claims intentional misrepresentation because the producers told him the picture had "no prospects of making any money."
Quaid, who played Joe Aguirre, the character who hires Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) to spend a summer tending sheep on Brokeback, claims that the defendants only got backing for the film from Focus' parent company, Universal Pictures, by insisting that it would make money.
The Oscar-winning film has grossed more than $82 million domestically and nearly $160 million worldwide to date.
"Relying on defendants' misrepresentations that the picture would be made on a minimal budget and that 'everyone was making sacrifices,' Randy Quaid agreed to make such a sacrifice, which, in the context of his status within the movie industry and the true budget of the film, was effectively a donation of his time," according to the complaint.
A Focus spokeswoman said, "It's the policy of Focus not to comment on pending litigation."
As a result of the alleged misrepresentation, Quaid said he agreed to waive his standard quote as well as perquisites and contingent compensation.
"Had defendants' true knowledge and intention been disclosed to Randy Quaid, he would never have agreed to allow defendants to enrich themselves at his expense," the suit states, adding that the damages amount to at least $10 million.
Quaid contends that the project was far from low budget and that the producers told the Canada Film Development Office in Alberta that the true budget was $15 million in order to obtain production credits.
Schamus, who produced the film with Diana Ossana, also was co-president of Focus along with Linde when the film was produced. Last week, Linde was promoted to co-chairman of Universal Pictures.
Quaid, in the Los Angeles Superior Court filing, claims intentional misrepresentation because the producers told him the picture had "no prospects of making any money."
Quaid, who played Joe Aguirre, the character who hires Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) to spend a summer tending sheep on Brokeback, claims that the defendants only got backing for the film from Focus' parent company, Universal Pictures, by insisting that it would make money.
The Oscar-winning film has grossed more than $82 million domestically and nearly $160 million worldwide to date.
"Relying on defendants' misrepresentations that the picture would be made on a minimal budget and that 'everyone was making sacrifices,' Randy Quaid agreed to make such a sacrifice, which, in the context of his status within the movie industry and the true budget of the film, was effectively a donation of his time," according to the complaint.
A Focus spokeswoman said, "It's the policy of Focus not to comment on pending litigation."
As a result of the alleged misrepresentation, Quaid said he agreed to waive his standard quote as well as perquisites and contingent compensation.
"Had defendants' true knowledge and intention been disclosed to Randy Quaid, he would never have agreed to allow defendants to enrich themselves at his expense," the suit states, adding that the damages amount to at least $10 million.
Quaid contends that the project was far from low budget and that the producers told the Canada Film Development Office in Alberta that the true budget was $15 million in order to obtain production credits.
Schamus, who produced the film with Diana Ossana, also was co-president of Focus along with Linde when the film was produced. Last week, Linde was promoted to co-chairman of Universal Pictures.
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