Eva Green has won a multimillion-pound Supreme Court battle after she was charged with ssabotaging a sci-fi movie where she allegedly called crew members “s****y peasants” and called the producer “pure puke.”
The former Bond girl, who starred in Casino Royale in 2006, was set to star in the dystopian thriller A Patriot, but production collapsed in 2019.
The 42-year-old actress sued the filmmakers of the £4.6 million film, claiming she was entitled to her one million dollar (£810,000) fee under the terms of her contract agreement.
But White Lantern Film and lender SMC Specialty Finance filed a counterclaim against Ms Green, claiming she undermined the production and reneged on her contract.
Judge Michael Green announced the actress’s victory this morning at the High Court of Justice in London, ruled she was entitled to the compensation, and dismissed the counterclaim.
French actress Eva Green (pictured arriving out of court in January) has successfully won a multimillion-pound London High Court case after she was blamed for the collapse of dystopian thriller film A Patriot
Jake Seal (pictured leaving the Rolls Building in London in February), the owner of Black Hangar Studios in Hampshire, said he was unaware actress Eva Green described him as “pure puke”
The judge said: ‘In particular, I find that Ms. Green has not waived her obligations under the Artist Agreement; nor has she despicably infringed upon it.’
Throughout the 71-page verdict in favor of Eva Green, Mr Justice Michael Green said there was ‘overinterpretation’ of private messages throughout the case.
He said: ‘Indeed, Ms Green’s private messages were widely referenced and both sides accused each other of pretending they were capable of making the film at the end of September 2019.
The reality, however, is that neither side was willing to make the movie the other wanted to make: Ms. Green made it clear she didn’t want to make the movie under Mr. Seal’s complete control; and the defendants were only interested in getting the loan back from SMC.”
Mr Justice Green added: ‘The matter is relatively simple, it seems to me, both factually and legally – there was little disagreement about the law – but it is complicated by convoluted and overly technical theories about what happened and the supposedly malicious strategies used. then taken over by the other side.
“I also think there has been an overinterpretation of the transcripts and private messages of the recordings.”
The bitter legal battle saw both sides make a number of claims in a high-profile court case in London earlier this year.
The 007 stars’ representation, Edward Cullen KC, told the court that the actress was the victim of a “character assassination,” adding that it was “based on some of the cheapest and nastiest kinds of stereotypes out there.”
The court heard that the actress had described crew members as “s****y peasants” and labeled the production as a “Bs****y movie.”
Ms. Green starred alongside James Bond legend Daniel Craig in Casino Royale in 2006
When she was accused of being rude to staff on set, Ms Green told the court she had a ‘very direct way of speaking’ and blamed her for ‘coming out Frenchness’
It was also said at trial that the actress labeled executive producer Jake Seal as “pure puke,” “wicked,” and a “cunning sociopath.”
Mr Seal, owner of Black Hangar Studios in Hampshire, told the court in testimony that he had no idea the actress had ‘all this venom against him’.
His lawyer, who read the statement on behalf of the producer, said: ‘I only met Ms Green in person once at a meeting attended by her, the former directors and Mr Harry Boyd.
“Apart from that meeting, I’ve only communicated with her via email.”
During two days of cross-examination, Ms Green told the judge she had a ‘very direct way of speaking’ and blamed her for ‘coming out Frenchness’.
She said at the time, “Sometimes I say emotional things that I don’t really mean. Of course they are not weak and stupid.’
“It was my emotions that spoke,” she added.
The French actress also said she wasn’t called to the studio for rehearsals or stunt training, describing it as “so strange” and later “absurd with a capital K.”
She said, “If I had been called on set, I would have made this movie, even if it would have been a disaster.”
“In my 20 years of making movies, I’ve never broken a contract or even missed a day of shooting,” the actress added.
Ms. denied any responsibility for the failed film, telling the court, “I didn’t have to do anything to make the film fail…they made it fail themselves with their incompetence.”
White Lantern representative Max Mallin KC said Ms Green had shown a “categorical and unequivocal refusal to act.”
The production company also claimed it had “excessive creative and financial demands” and expectations that were “incompatible” with the film’s low budget.
Mr Mallin said it was not up to Ms Green whether or not she was called to sit, adding: “What is within her control is whether she responds to that call or not, and in my opinion makes she made it very clear she wasn’t.’
He added that she was “so worried about what would happen if she were expressly called to perform” that she had suggested to her agent that she “make up a story about Mrs Green being hospitalized”.
