Legal battle erupts over Crash
2006-03-03 12:00
Los Angeles - An ugly legal battle has erupted over who will take credit for producing the movie Crash, one of the favourites to win the best picture Oscar at the weekend, reports said on Thursday.
Just days ahead of Hollywood's big night on Sunday, an independent film financier has sued Oscars organisers claiming he was unfairly excluded from the list of Crash producers. Experts say the film stands a chance of snatching the best picture award from the frontunner Brokeback Mountain.
Financier Bob Yari sued the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the producers union, the Producers Guild of America, demanding he be added to the Academy Awards' official list of Crash producers, The Los Angeles Times and Daily Variety said.
Yari claims he was denied a producer credit that would allow him to mount the stage to accept an Oscar should Crash triumph at Sunday's globally televised Oscars ceremony. Such awards can make or break movie careers.
Six people are credited as producers in the racially-charged drama's onscreen credits.
But under strict Academy and PGA rules aimed at ensuring that only those who worked actively on a movie - as opposed to disengaged investors - writer-director Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman are listed by the Academy as the only producers.
In a separate action, Schulman sued Yari arguing that her former business partner had failed to pay more than two million dollars in fees and bonuses linked to Crash, that cost just 6.5 million dollars to produce, the Times and Variety said.
Schulman alleges that Yari - who was the first person to agree to make Crash - failed to reimburse some Hollywood vendors and screenwriters, allegedly damaging her professional reputation, the Times reported.
Because all the legal measures were taken after the balloting for Sunday's Oscars closed on Tuesday, the film's chances will not be affected by the developments.
The film has raked in more than $55m and earned six Academy Award nominations, including best picture, best director for Haggis, best original screenplay and best supporting actor for Matt Dillon.