Steven Seagal sued for $14 million by production company

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kickingbird

candle lighter
Hi ya'll! Hi Storm! :) of course I remember you! Yes, the Clone Wars were dark days ... but the dark side always falls in the end.

A quiet insight about Steven Seagal I'd like to put out here - he IS older. I'm not saying older is slower; however, it would be nice to see a quality, well-directed and written film for him. Personally, I'd like to see something a bit like Circle Of Iron - something more in tune with the true meaning of Bushido. Fast action is great, but without the reason behind the action, it is just movement with no meaning. Perhaps he'll be able to do something like this in the future, perhaps not. One can only hope. One thing is certain - life mellows with age. Let's see what happens.
Peace
 

tora

Funmaker
kickingbird said:
Just for record, Seagal himself rewrote scripts for On Deadly Ground and Fire Down Below to help people become environmentally aware - Seagal himself has said this. Personally, those two are some of my faves of his films, although I do like the older films. The newer films seem to be trying very hard to be hip and cool, or whatever the genre is nowadays. As the saying goes "I'm too old for this sh.." (actually I'm a year older than Seagal).

Follywood has always had scandals and lawsuits. There are always many "sides" to the stories, and we, the public, are only aware of what the PRESS feeds us. Unless we are personally involved in a situation, WE won't really know the entire story. Therefore, it is premature to jump to conclusions from reading what reporters write, especially stories that sound of tabloid mentality.

Not sure what "type" of Seagal fan I am ... I only know my blood type is AB+ ...

Fandom fighting aside, it will be interesting to see how these lawsuits pan out. I personally have utmost respect for Mr. Seagal as a Human Being and Sansei and will hold my speculation in rein because I do not know the "real" story behind any of it.

For those of you who know me, hi! For you newbies, hi too! I was on the "old" board during the clone wars, and switched to this board but barely have the time to hang out here much ... it is garden time, as well as monsoon time ... which means I should have planted rice instead of tomatoes!

In Oneness
and Peace


Good old Kickingbird,it's so damn good to see you and read some rational judgement from you...well,it's not even a judgement,just a sense of rationalism.
And that word Follywood...lol,it sounds nicer this way :D
AB+ blood type.....hahaha! You really got it :D
 

tora

Funmaker
Lollipop and Glimmer,thanks for the humor folks :D
And for the final note,there will always be diverse opinions and it's ok to have them for a balance but it's not nice to cause imbalance by telling each other things like "you're blind.you're foolish.you're insulting." or elsewhat.We need all these opinions here,otherwise it would be boring.We get to know each other,we socialize,we become friends,we become fellows,we argue and sometimes quarrel but in the end that sense of positivity should win.Maybe some people see what's happening but they wanna remain positive because,as Lollipop said,life's too short,the clock is ticking,and it's not time for concentrating on the worst things.Let's just take the best of everything.Every wrong has its good too.Remember that.
 

Lollipop

Banned
tora said:
Lollipop and Glimmer,thanks for the humor folks :D
And for the final note,there will always be diverse opinions and it's ok to have them for a balance but it's not nice to cause imbalance by telling each other things like "you're blind.you're foolish.you're insulting." or elsewhat.We need all these opinions here,otherwise it would be boring.We get to know each other,we socialize,we become friends,we become fellows,we argue and sometimes quarrel but in the end that sense of positivity should win.Maybe some people see what's happening but they wanna remain positive because,as Lollipop said,life's too short,the clock is ticking,and it's not time for concentrating on the worst things.Let's just take the best of everything.Every wrong has its good too.Remember that.


And it is nice to see our little critter (you know there is only one critter in the world?) running around and spreading Joy to the World!! :D
There has not been one before you and there will never be another to replace you!! ;)

You could cook at cake, it has been some time since the last one! :cook:
 

KimonoSoul

Wacky on the Junk
TDWoj said:
Don't forget Out of Reach, and yes, even Belly of the Beast had some weirdness in it that made no sense. For those that hated The Foreigner, that one, too, had issues. Oh, and don't forget Ticker.

I'm not commenting on Into the Sun or Submerged because I flatly refuse to spend any more of my hard-to-come-by wages on any more rubbish.

-TD, off to get Above The Law DVD to watch on her computer as the TV is still broke


In Belly of the Beast where those kids are playing in the water, and that one guy is laying on the shore, be-bopping to the tunes...and he cannot sense someone standing over him with a big giant knife? Ummm...yeah...OK. He was lost in that great pop music....but then, I don't watch for the plot lines, I watch for the fight scenes and the eye candy.....
 

Thai IP Guy

New Member
Lawsuit is frivolous

I refer to the new article:

http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117924144&c=13

Posted: Wed., Jun. 8, 2005, 10:00pm PT

Seagal slapped with 'Mercenary' lawsuit

Distribs claiming thesp caused prod'n delays

By SCOTT HETTRICK


Steven Seagal and his companies Steamroller Prods. and Luminocity Media have been sued for $14 million by DVD movie producers plus distribs Kill Master Prods. and Nu Image.
Kill Master and Nu Image claim in a suit filed in L.A. Superior Court on Monday that Seagal's on-set behavior during the production of two movies currently in post-production, "Today You Die" and "Mercenary," caused production delays that could result in millions of dollars in reshoots.

The plaintiffs also claim that Seagal's frequent, unapproved and unauthorized changes to the script and dialogue will result in the loss of millions of dollars in sales commitments because elements of the film that were promised now cannot be delivered to the film buyers.

Suit also alleges that "Seagal and his entourage continually harassed, intimidated and threatened the production and members of the production team with requests and demands that were inappropriate, outrageous or not contractually required."

The plaintiffs claim they have already paid Seagal $3.5 million of his $4.75 million salary for his work on "Mercenary."

The suit says that Seagal showed up on location in South Africa for "Mercenary" only "begrudgingly" and when threatened with legal action.

Seagal attorney Marty Singer called the suit "ridiculous and without merit" and "a clear preemptive strike" to a suit that Seagal was preparing to file against the plaintiffs alleging fraud; it could be filed as early as today.

Singer said attorneys and Seagal agents at William Morris notified Kill Master and Nu Image more than a month ago about substantial complaints of fraud they were bringing against the production in South Africa, where, he said, a criminal investigation into the loss of millions of dollars is under way.

An estimated $5 million-$7 million of the $13 million-$14 million production was not put into the pic, Singer said, which will damage the chances of the film getting a theatrical release in any territory.

On Tuesday evening, the day after the suit was filed, Nu Image offered to pay Seagal $650,000 of the remaining $830,000 he is owed on final payment of his salary for "Mercenary," according to Singer. Nothing was mentioned at that time about the suit, which Singer said came as a surprise to Seagal on Wednesday.

As to the claims of misconduct during production that caused delays, Singer said the pic, which was shot in April and May, was completed under budget and on time.

Attorneys for Kill Master, who filed the suit, did not return calls for comment.

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117924144&c=13

As some of you know, I am Mr Seagal's legal counsel in Thailand. Wherever a star like Seagal travels, he is an easy target for false laysuits and false claims. I urge all of you to kkep an OPEN MIND. There are two sides to this stroy and I believe Steven will be vindicated

My own experience with Mr Seagal in Thailand suggests he is a professional and a perfectionist and if there were production delays in Africa, it is likley they are not his fault

It is easy to file a lawsuit and make headlines, but when Seagal wins the case, where the headlines be then?

Don't belive the hype. He has good lawyers on his side and there will be a compelling defence to the suit

My bet is on Steven

Edward J Kelly
Partner & Director, IP Division
Tilleke & Gibbins International Ltd
Bangkok Thailand
 

Serena

Administrator
Hi, Ed. Nice to see you back again. :) Thanks for the info, and for sharing your thoughts and opinion.
SOME of us always try to keep an open mind. ;) :D
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Hey, Ed! Good to hear from you! Thanks for giving us the perspective from a professional point of view. It is hard not to speculate when one hears so many stories!
 

tora

Funmaker
You can't really trust the tabloids but they're nearly the only source here and often not reliable.And no one really knows what's happening there indeed just from a single multi-tabloidal point of view.Thanks,Thai IP Guy!
 
Today I have read in a Polish (my country Poland newspaper) newspaper that Seagal sued Nu Image for not paying him 876,000 $ that they own him for a "Mercenary" contract. He is saying that he make everything included in a conctract for this picture.
 

j mclane

New Member
"Today You Die" and "Mercenary,"

To be homest, he would have to stay on set 24hours a day for 3 months for these movies to be any good.

Gome on, smell the coffee, since Exit wounds, every film he has done has been utter ****, and they ain't gonna get any better.

Van damme does DTD movies, but at least his are watchable, make sense and he does his own fights, Seagals recent films have none of these qualities, and if he ain't gonna be turning up when he should, then these next two should be even worse than the utter crap we have been subjected to.

As a fan, i feel robbed by the man who i regarded as the best action film start ever. And with each terrible movie, the memory of the great star he was is fading.
 

aikidoboynj

"Lookin fit Nelson"
j mclane said:
To be homest, he would have to stay on set 24hours a day for 3 months for these movies to be any good.

Gome on, smell the coffee, since Exit wounds, every film he has done has been utter ****, and they ain't gonna get any better.

Van damme does DTD movies, but at least his are watchable, make sense and he does his own fights, Seagals recent films have none of these qualities, and if he ain't gonna be turning up when he should, then these next two should be even worse than the utter crap we have been subjected to.

As a fan, i feel robbed by the man who i regarded as the best action film start ever. And with each terrible movie, the memory of the great star he was is fading.


sad but indeed so true... fading into black it seems
 

kickingbird

candle lighter
MOST of the people on this forum like and respect Mr. Seagal. Attempts to slam him is wasted here. If you don't like his recent films, watch something else. There's plenty of young, action-packed, mindless movies out there just waiting for someone to watch them. Films are what the writers and directors make them - if they aren't much good it isn't the actors' faults. And if one still expects Mr. Seagal to do the action he once did in his earlier films, well, call us when YOU'RE 50+ and see how you're doing with those "fast" moves ... lol.
I'll refrain from starting more "clone wars" here ... suffice it to say that the majority of people here don't really care if anyone likes Mr. Seagal's films or not. Personally, I'd like to see a quality film as I mentioned in a previous post here - but it wouldn't be the slam-bang action some are still expecting. People change, situations change, life changes. It's all part of life. Stop complaining and go watch Van Damme :)
BTW, have you seen the film Circle Of Iron? If not, I highly recommend it: it conveys the truer meanings of the martial arts and life and the "search" for that magical solution to life's questions. The quest for "the book" explaining it all is the crowning jewel of the film. See it - it is available on DVD now from Amazon. The secret is to watch it as a "lesson" and not a movie.
In Oneness and Peace
 

aikidoboynj

"Lookin fit Nelson"
kickingbird said:
MOST of the people on this forum like and respect Mr. Seagal. Attempts to slam him is wasted here. If you don't like his recent films, watch something else. There's plenty of young, action-packed, mindless movies out there just waiting for someone to watch them. Films are what the writers and directors make them - if they aren't much good it isn't the actors' faults. And if one still expects Mr. Seagal to do the action he once did in his earlier films, well, call us when YOU'RE 50+ and see how you're doing with those "fast" moves ... lol.
I'll refrain from starting more "clone wars" here ... suffice it to say that the majority of people here don't really care if anyone likes Mr. Seagal's films or not. Personally, I'd like to see a quality film as I mentioned in a previous post here - but it wouldn't be the slam-bang action some are still expecting. People change, situations change, life changes. It's all part of life. Stop complaining and go watch Van Damme :)
BTW, have you seen the film Circle Of Iron? If not, I highly recommend it: it conveys the truer meanings of the martial arts and life and the "search" for that magical solution to life's questions. The quest for "the book" explaining it all is the crowning jewel of the film. See it - it is available on DVD now from Amazon. The secret is to watch it as a "lesson" and not a movie.
In Oneness and Peace

Why don't you ask Chuck Norris who he is doing with his fast moves, he hasn't lost a step. Charles Bronson into his 60s was still running around shooting at people up to Death Wish 43. Van Damme will be getting up there soon and he hasn't lost a step either. The guy doesn't even show up to redub his own voice, in 70% of the movies now he is hidden underneath shadows, big huge jackets, or camera angles that show his hands hitting other peoples hands. Seagal should get back to the basics 50 years old or not, a few fast action scenes are not comparable to people who have real jobs busting there asses older than 50 thats for sure.
 

BillyRayLancing

New Member
Im sorry but look at Exit Wounds - Seagal was what - 49/50? It was only 4/5 years ago - in that he slimmed down and did all his own, fast moves again. So those using his age as an excuse are proved wrong right there. He was older and yet still produced one of his all time bests. Second if it really was down to Seagals age that his movies have decreased in quality - whats up with the dubbing? Does his voice dissapear with age? Thirdly for the people blaming the directors or the writers - Seagal gets to pick his own projects, he knows who the directors is and has read the script before the production starts. Therefore its plainly obvious that it is him chosing subpar prodjects. Lastly if Seagals finding it difficuly briniging out the action movies at his age then he should simply divesify into movies like The Patiot that are mostly drama with a bit of action thrown in. That way he doesnt have to keep making these cheap so called action movies that a ripping off the fans and destroying his image further. At the moment all these current movies are doing is making him lose more and more fans and turing his legacy as a great action star into a legacy as a bad B-Movie actor.
 

rgray_aikido

New Member
BillyRayLancing said:
Im sorry but look at Exit Wounds - Seagal was what - 49/50? It was only 4/5 years ago - in that he slimmed down and did all his own, fast moves again. So those using his age as an excuse are proved wrong right there. He was older and yet still produced one of his all time bests. Second if it really was down to Seagals age that his movies have decreased in quality - whats up with the dubbing? Does his voice dissapear with age? Thirdly for the people blaming the directors or the writers - Seagal gets to pick his own projects, he knows who the directors is and has read the script before the production starts. Therefore its plainly obvious that it is him chosing subpar prodjects. Lastly if Seagals finding it difficuly briniging out the action movies at his age then he should simply divesify into movies like The Patiot that are mostly drama with a bit of action thrown in. That way he doesnt have to keep making these cheap so called action movies that a ripping off the fans and destroying his image further. At the moment all these current movies are doing is making him lose more and more fans and turing his legacy as a great action star into a legacy as a bad B-Movie actor.

Exit Wounds doesn't have that much fighting in it and with the exception of the short overly choregraphed fight sequence in front of the SUV all of the fight sequences make heavy use of doubles. In fact the fight with dmx in front of the building is probaly 95% stand in. The fight in the bar Seagal mostly poses but the stand in does the throws and flips. So exit wounds is no different than his later films in terms of the usage of doubles. So i don't understand why some people consider exit wounds to be his last great film.
 
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