Thursday, March 28, 2024

Will Smith Hit with Lawsuit Over Film About Serena & Venus Williams’ Father

Will Smith

*Will Smith is set to play the father of tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams in Warner Bros.’ upcoming film drama “King Richard.”

The  project has hit a snag, however, as TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multimedia have reportedly filed a lawsuit against the studio and Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment production company, claiming breach of contract, among other things.

According to TheWrapRichard Williams himself, his son Chavoita Lesane, and production company Star Thrower Entertainment have also been named in the lawsuit.

“This case presents an unfortunate and tawdry situation: The cold and calculating misappropriation and interference with Plaintiff’s intellectual property,” the complaint reads.

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Richard Williams - GettyImages-661217426
Richard Williams – GettyI

“King Richard” will be directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script written by Zach Baylin. The story is reportedly based on Williams’ 2014 memoir titled “Black and White: The Way I See It.” 

Here’s more from TheWrap:

TW3 Entertainment argues in the complaint that it purchased the motion picture rights to any film “based in whole or in part on Defendant [Richard] Williams’ life story or his book.”

In the lawsuit, TW3 Entertainment says that in March 2019 Lesane, acting with Williams’ power of attorney, informed them that Star Thrower and Warner Bros. had entered into an agreement to produce a film based on Williams’ book, and that TW3 was free to “produce some other type of media (such as a mini-series) if Plaintiffs decided to do so. Plaintiffs were shocked and outraged.”

TW3 Entertainment says in the suit that it’s their belief that Warner Bros., Overbrook and Star Thrower paid at least $1 million for the rights to produce “King Richard,” and contend that they are entitled to “all sums paid by anyone to Defendants Lesane and Williams in connection with the Richard Williams Rights.”

“Plaintiffs reasonably expected to be compensated for such use of any of their ideas or materials, and Defendant Warner Bros. voluntarily accepted Plaintiffs’ offer and disclosures, knowing the conditions on which they were made, i.e., that any use of any of Plaintiff’s ideas or materials in any motion picture, television program, merchandising program, or otherwise, whether by Defendant Warner Bros. or any of its affiliates, carried with an obligation to, inter alia, compensate and credit Plaintiffs for such use,” the filing continued.

“King Richard” is due for release in late 2021. Smith is joined in the cast by Aunjanue Ellis, Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney, Jon Bernthal, Liev Schreiber, and Dylan McDermott.

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