Spinal Tap lawsuit can move forward
The creators of mock rock band Spinal Tap have scored a legal victory against film bosses after a judge ruled their US$400-million lawsuit over hit 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap could move forward.
In October 2016, Harry Shearer, who played bassist Derek Smalls in the film, filed a lawsuit alleging bosses at Vivendi had cheated him and the film’s co-creators out of profits.
The following February, the film’s director Rob Reiner and Harry’s co-stars Christopher Guest and Michael McKean joined the lawsuit, bumping up the full amount claimed to $400 million.
Bosses at the French media conglomerate, who own the rights to the film via their subsidiary StudioCanal, subsequently filed a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a judge denied their request on Tuesday, according to Deadline.
The stars and their director claim a 1982 agreement, signed with bosses at Embassy Pictures, entitles them to 40% of the profits from all revenues generated by the movie.
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