John Cusack: You Played Me, Now Pay Me

Posted Jul 9th 2008 9:32PM by TMZ Staff

John Cusack is suing a movie production company because it didn't have stopping power. Let us explain.

In the lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Cusack claims Intermedia Film Equities USA convinced him to star in a film called "Stopping Power." According to the suit, Cusack was guaranteed $4.5 million, whether the movie was made or not. And he was promised all his expenses would be paid, including $50k to cover the costs of his staff on location.

Pitbull lawyer Marty Singer, who filed the suit, claims Cusack traveled to Germany and began production, but Intermedia came to him and said they couldn't afford to pay him the guarantee and eventually canceled production.

The suit claims Intermedia and the other defendants never had the funds to pay Cusack and fraudulently induced him to travel to Germany and then tried and renegotiate a lower fee. Now that's a Grosse Pointe.

Cusack wants $5,600,000 plus punitives.

Filed under: Celebrity Justice

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(Page 1 of 2) | 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. First?

Posted at 9:37PM on Jul 9th 2008 by KC

2. 2nd?

Posted at 9:41PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Nutage.com

3. Who would want to make a movie with this limp wristed whiner? Not moi.

Posted at 9:45PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Luke Warmwater

4. yeah

Posted at 10:25PM on Jul 9th 2008 by david

5. Ok, this has to be where dollar signs get in the way of your normal common sense. Intermedia Film Equities USA?? Really? How does that even sound like a company you would want to work for, John? Anyway, I dont know about 5.6mil but you should get a little something for your trouble. Who's your agent?... Intermedia Film Equities USA?? Really? Ugh.

Posted at 10:32PM on Jul 9th 2008 by MrEKO

6. Hey John, get the money and then make another Gross Pointe Blank or High Fidelity!! Get back to making the movie YOU want to make and keep your artistic vision! So what if your friends have gone onto blockbuster fame...even Robert Downey Jr. as Ironman...that really "crack's me up big time! But oh well. You make really great films. Have Martian Child right here now and will watch it this weekend. You are great. Ran into you once at a Laker game. You actually physically lifted me up...never realized you were that tall til that moment. Sorry for almost spilling my beer on you!

Posted at 10:35PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Your Ad Here

7. John C'mon, your from my home town, so what you traveled to Germany,, seriously 5.6 million? what happened to your midwest attitude, forgive and forget, don't destroy that company. stop being a cry baby, don't make me not like you, your one of my favorite actor's of all time. I thought you were always cool. stop take it easy and please oh please don't turn Hollywood. you always seemed to be away from that.
Oh and me and my friend cranked you when we were teenagers lmao :-)

Posted at 11:00PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Chicago Wendy

8. Take em down, you don't come to a payment agreement and then decide you want to renegotiate...Give John his 5.6 mil, creeps...

Posted at 11:05PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Ashley

9. John- You should go after them for all the cluster---- that was involved. Such disrespect for a gifted artist cannot be ignored or blown off. Hopefully, it will serve notice to any others out there who would scheme other artists in the future to rethink their ploy.

Posted at 11:50PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Jeff

10. If $4.5 million was to be his salary and he's asking for $5.6 million before punitive, then Cusack incurred 1.1 million in compensatory expenses? Did he got nuts on lederhosen, beer and Hasselhoff CDs?

Posted at 11:51PM on Jul 9th 2008 by Chris336

11. Greedy ass! Dont you celebs have enough money and then you get more greedy and sue for more money. Try having a real job and real problems.

Posted at 12:03AM on Jul 10th 2008 by brenda

12. I think John has every right. I am from the midwest and live in NYC and just because I am the sweet gal from KS, doesn't mean I shouldn't stand up for my rights. Movie stars, even tho paid ridiculous amounts of money have a lot of expenses that we don't realize.. managers, agents, etc etc. He was promised this gig whether the movie was made or not and he deserves to stick up for himself. Whoever said, forgive and forget is a MORON! I am not saying we should sue for every little thing but if they came to him with this proposal and he agreed then went on to spend time and money to get it done and they pull out... THEN HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO NAIL THEIR BALLS TO THE WALL!!
Go JOHN!!

Posted at 12:32AM on Jul 10th 2008 by Bre

13. A deal is a deal...that's what contracts are for! You can bet if he had backed out, the production company would be suing him. Pay the guy ALL of it.

Posted at 12:35AM on Jul 10th 2008 by whatado

14. ***Brenda***Couldn't have said it better myself sweetheart! How true!!!

Posted at 1:01AM on Jul 10th 2008 by mrsrhymes

15. this story is old news... here is the original story from

http://www.internationalmedia.de/eng/index.htm

IM Internationalmedia AG:
John Cusack brings claim against IM Stopping Power GmbH and Intermedia Film Equities Ltd.
Munich / Los Angeles May 15, 2008 – Intermedia Film Equities Ltd, an Internationalmedia Group company, issued a guarantee for certain liabilities of its former affiliated company IM Stopping Power GmbH, especially vis-à-vis the actor John Cusack and Cusack Enterprise Ltd. Cusack informed the Company through his lawyers on May 15, 2008, that he will bring claims against IM Stopping Power GmbH and Intermedia Film Equities Ltd. in the amount of round 5.6 million USD on the basis of the agreements made. Furthermore, Cusack and Cusack Enterprise Ltd. have announced to seek recourse also against IM Internationalmedia AG in its capacity as former shareholder of IM Stopping Power GmbH (which is currently in insolvency proceedings) and as parent company of Intermedia Film Equities Ltd.

Posted at 1:18AM on Jul 10th 2008 by laura

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