Gibson's Company Suing Over 'Passion' Profits

[MichaelHarris]

LOS ANGELES — Mel Gibson's film-distribution outfit is suing Regal Entertainment Group for $40 million or more, claiming the movie chain shortchanged the company on revenues from "The Passion of the Christ".

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122200,00.html

I know, Fox News but you have to love the irony. Mel makes a movie to show his devotion to Christ, not to make money mind you. Fox's Bill O'Nazily does one-handed pull-ups on Mel's dick in interviews about his desire for the world to see his vision. No Mel its not about the money at all is it? What cut does Jesus's family get from the profits Mel? Heres a thought, take that 40 million and give it to all the people who saw your snuff film and tell them you lied, it was about the money.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. but, but, it's not Mel's money. It's the Catholic church's money.

Remember? He donated it, or at least a percentage. And if you cheat on the whole, you'll cheat on the portion.

[MichaelHarris]

2. I gotta ask it

Would Jesus sue? The one I know wouldn't.

[WindRavenX]

3. Sad to say, I am not suprised

I have no intention of seeing the film, either.

[Leprechan29]

10. You really should see the film

I'm hardly one that most would call religious (agnostic), but I thought it was well put together, and a moving vision of one person's religious point of view, however far from mainstream it may be.

[Kinkistyle]

13. What about the gore?

I am not a big fan of graphic violence. I am sure there a lot of people who don't enjoy watching gratuitous visceral detail of beatings and torture.

Violent movies can be on the non-graphic side, e.g. Saving Private Ryan.

[Roaming]

16. Saving Private Ryan wasn't graphic? I sure thought it was!

[Kinkistyle]

19. The Normandy sequence had graphic moments.

They were quite shocking as well, but they lasted less than a second each (The guy cut in half, the soldier looking for his arm and the radio operator with the hold in the face). Almost like subliminal flashes.

After that it was mostly character drama.

[Roaming]

20. You're probably right; I just remember those early scenes because

they were so shocking. Great movie, though.

[LondonAmerican]

4. I don't understand

what's the problem with Mel Gibson's making money from his movie? And who exactly in "Jesus's family" would get part of the profits -- the RC church?

Seems that anyone who makes a movie would expect his contractual rights to be respected.

[WindRavenX]

7. The problem is this:

Gibson has said over and over he made "The Passion" to basically get the word out about the suffering that Jesus went through. That's all fine and dandy, but IMO, but making a fuss about money (seeing as how the movie made like 300 + million), seems rather...ah, shallow, for lack of a better word.

[MichaelHarris]

8. well

he did make over 300 million for his snuff film. That makes it the highest grossing snuff film in history. And to you question "who in Jesus's family" well all of us, after all we're all descendents from Adam and Eve right? Even Jesus's mother. So we're all brothers and sisters and Mel just made money offa my family and I'm pissed about it. Now he wants more.

[TexasBushwhacker]

14. Box Office receipts were $370 million

Mel's take of that is much less.

From a Rueters article:

"In the suit, filed on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Icon said its agreement with Regal called for the companies to share receipts on "studio terms," which Icon defined as 55 percent of gross ticket sales paid to it and 45 percent retained by Regal.


Icon claims Regal has reneged on that deal and offered to pay Icon only 34 percent, instead."

My question is, what was the wording of the contract? Did it say "studio terms", which Mel assumed were 55/45, or did it specify the split? I worked for Loew's theaters 10 years ago and the box office split wasn't a flat rate. It was highest for the studio the first week the film was out, and then the take for the theater was higher the longer the film ran. There was also a deduction from the studio's receipts for the cost of screening, so that the theaters rent and lights, etc. were always paid for and they didn't have to worry about losing money by keeping a particular film for screening. Even so, the bulk of the theaters money is made from selling concessions. This kind of lawsuit is really rare. It makes me wonder if neophyte Gibson didn't really understand the "terms".

[ibegurpard]

5. snarf!

so much for his labor of love.

[PurityOfEssence]

6. god himself couldn't make distribution ethical

or in this case, exhibition.

[truthisfreedom]

9. i wonder if mel used the "f" word when discussing this with his lawyers?

would mad max use the 'f' word?

heh.

[MichaelHarris]

11. he went

all apocalyptic on um. Don't mess wif Mels dollars, he'll fuk you up.

[Tellurian]

12. I don't blame Mel at all...

If someone "stole" from me, I'd sue them too.

Especially when this band of thieves, the Regal Ent Group,
most likely is one of Bush's conglomerate corps.

[Blue_Roses]

15. Well said!

"Heres a thought, take that 40 million and give it to all the people who saw your snuff film and tell them you lied, it was about the money."

That's ALL it was about.

[Walt Starr]

17. WWJS?

Who Would Jeebus Sue?

[colonel odis]

18. the moneychangers snuck back into the temple, apparently. n/t

[74dodgedart]

21. Mel could be the patron saint of litigation

[TrogL]

22. Jesus didn't have a family

Ignore the Da Vinci code - it's nonsense.

[74dodgedart]

24. We are all God's children... Time to pony up Mel, I want my cut

[bleedingheart]

23. I thought his film was about God...not profits...

ah Mel....thou art a hypocrite...