Jones Sues for extra $10 Million from No Country For Old Men
Arguably one of the best movies of 2007, No Country For Old Men is making headlines again with one of its stars, Tommy Lee Jones, suing Paramount over No Country for Old Men for $10 million that is owed to him. The actor states that the studio failed to pay him according to his stated contract.
According to the San Antonio Express, On April 3rd, 2006, Lee signed a contract stating that he would act in No Country for Old Men as well as provide,
“additional related services”
in order to promote it. The article purports that the lawsuit says that Paramount and Miramax, the makers of the film, promised to pay Jones a fixed “up-front” fee, that was greatly reduced from his standard asking price and a significant box office bonus if the film preformed well.
No Country for Old Men went on to win four Academy awards, two Golden Globes, and earned more than $160 million at the box office, marking it as a commercial hit.
The article also goes on to state that Paramount alerted Jones of a contract problem,
Jones was to earn as much as Scott Rudin and the directing team of Joel and Ethan Coen, but according to the lawsuit, Paramount officials alerted Jones to a mistake in his contract that involved the deduction of home video expenses. Jones claims that company officials knew there was a mistake in his contract before he signed on to make the film. And that they failed to alert him to it. A second mistake was also noted which went on to explained the formula for determining box office bonuses. Because of these two “mistakes”, Jones has been denied $10 million in due fees.
The article also state that the case’s outcome is pending.
To me this is a crossroads issue, a conundrum if you will, I think actors are over paid sometimes and that they already have lots of money whats an extra $10 million? The thing is though I am always about fairness so if Jones is truly correct and his contract states that he will make a certain amount based on certain stipulations than by all means give him the money! That being No Country for Old Men was great and Jones was great! pay him what he is worth.
