Randy Quaid is suing the producers of Brokeback Mountain for $10 million dollars. Why? He claims they falsely assured him that the film wouldn’t be making much money and that everyone on the cast and crew would be working for cheap rates.
Angry what he sees as misrepresentation, Quaid is now demanding damages in a lawsuit lodged in the Los Angeles Superior Court. "Relying on defendants' misrepresentations that the picture would be made on a minimal budget and that 'everyone was making sacrifices,' Randy Quaid agreed to make such a sacrifice, which, in the context of his status within the movie industry and the true budget of the film, was effectively a donation of his time," says the complaint.
Sadly for Randy, the film has gone on to be slightly more successful than the low-expectation art house experience he expected. To date, the film has earned more than $160 million worldwide.
He also claims that he never would have agreed to cut his fee had he known about the film’s actual budget. "Had defendants' true knowledge and intention been disclosed to Randy Quaid, he would never have agreed to allow defendants to enrich themselves at his expense," the suit states, adding that the damages amount to at least $10 million.
So, sour grapes or justified complaint? Let the debate begin.
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