Michael Moore Files Lawsuit for Fahrenheit 9/11 Profits
Michael Moore
Michael Moore has filed a lawsuit against Harvey and Bob Weinstein, claiming that they defrauded him of $2.7 million in profits from his 2004 documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, The Wrap reports.
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In the suit, filed Monday in a Los Angeles court, the filmmaker alleges that the Weinsteins hid the amounts they owed him. "This case is about classic Hollywood accounting tricks and financial deception," Moore said in the suit.
The Weinstein brothers' lawyer, Bert Fields, however, said the suit is "demonstrable and absolute baloney." Fields also added that Moore was paid more than $19.8 million, and questioned the timing of the suit given that Weinstein's latest film, The King's Speech, has been nominated for an Academy Award for best picture.
"Mr. Moore has been paid many, many, many millions of dollars on this film. He has received every dime to which he is entitled," Fields said. "His lawsuit is a cheap shot designed for the media, and considering the timing, I really wonder who put him up to it."
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Moore's lawyer, Larry Stein, released a statement: "This is the first time Michael Moore has ever sued anyone in his 20-year career as a filmmaker. That should be some indication about how serious this is."
Moore is seeking reimbursement for what he says he is owed and for punitive damages.
Fahrenheit 9/11, which takes a critical look at President George W. Bush's first term in office and the war on terrorism, is the most successful documentary of all time, grossing $222 million since 2004.