Lionsgate vs. Weinstein: Legal Battle Pushes Forward
Lionsgate wants to Push The Weinstein Company out of court!
In the latest legal maneuver over the Sundance hit, Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, featuring performances by Mo’Nique, Sherri Shepherd and Mariah Carey, Lionsgate is seeking dismissal of TWC’s New York lawsuit.
As a reminder, the two companies filed dueling lawsuits over the rights to the film. Lionsgate filed first for declaratory relief, asking a Los Angeles court to declare that it properly purchased the rights to distribute the film for approximately $5 million. TWC then filed suit in NYC, arguing that it had “reached a firm agreement for the rights” to the film with a sales agency, even though it had not entered a written agreement to purchase the rights.
Now, Lionsgate wants the NY court to dismiss the WTC case, arguing that it lacks merit and is duplicative of the CA case. Once again, Lionsgate is beating TWC to the legal punch, consistently putting TWC on the defensive. This is a smart move. Of course, just because Lionsgate filed first does not guarantee its win, but other factors — including location of witnesses, proximity to Utah where the deal was made, and the Los Angeles business presence of both Lionsgate and TWC — likely do.
Popsquire predicts a win for Lionsgate and will keep you posted. Click here to read the legal papers, courtesy of Popsquire’s friends at The Hollywood Reporter.
[PRN / PR Photos]
