Sylvester Stallone accused Warner Bros. of committing accounting fraud for his 1993 box-office hits "Demolition Man." He filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Warner Bros. through his loan-out company Rogue Marble Production on Wednesday.
In his complaint, the 70-year-old actor stated that Warner Bros. failed to pay him his share of revenue from the science fiction movie "Demolition Man." Stallone claims that the studio concealed the profits from the movie and he wants to end the practice of Hollywood bad accounting according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Demolition Man" grossed $58 million for its theatrical release in North America and $159 million international in the market. Stallone said that he wanted to help fellow actors and creative workers to fight against the accounting fraud from the Hollywood studio. He said that bad accounting practice in Hollywood studios damaged the artists and their creative works, as he stated in the lawsuit, "This one involves outright and obviously intentional dishonesty perpetrated against an international iconic talent"
Stallone raised the issue in 2014 to Warner Bros., but the studio denied to pay anything and claimed the movie had lost $66.9 million as reported by Variety. Rogue Marble and Stallone protested the claim because "Demolition Man" generated a big revenue for Warner Bros. In his agreement with Warner Bros. Studio, Stallone entitled to have 15 percent as the movie reached the "defined gross" revenue of $125 million. Based on the movie data, "Demolition Man" generated a $159 million revenue in its worldwide distribution and more in its home video sales.
Later in April 2015, Warner Bros. sent the check for $2.8 million, as the lawsuit stated. Warner Bros. also distributed Stallone's movie "Creed" as one of his "Rocky" franchise. Stallone decided to take on the studio one step at a time, and he started from his 1993 movie "Demolition Man." Watch the trailer for the movie below:
