Author Beware: TV/Movie Deal Doesn't Necessarily Mean $ on the Back End

[Naomi Hirahara]

Crimespace member Helen Black had posed a question on TV options. Here's a cautionary tale of one author's experience with Disney in today's L.A. Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-et-cheetah13feb13,0,6026972.story

And related sidebar mentioning the authors of FORREST GUMP, THE COLOR PURPLE, and others:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/la-et-cheetahsid...

If you are approached by a producer, etc., get good representation to look over your contract! At least we book authors are paid per book sold (aside from monies withheld for possible returns).

[George Wilder Jr.]

I have been approach by a producer for a possible movie deal for one of my books. Now I know to be extra careful if there is talk of a contract. Thanks for the heads up. God Bless.

[Dana King]

"Net" is in the eye of the beholder. If an author wants a piece of the action, gross is the only number to use. They probably won't give it to you, but from everything I've heard, no movie has ever made money once the studio lawyers and accountants are through with it.

[Vincent Holland-Keen]

Absolutely, and even then that's no guarantee - New Line cinema are currently being sued by the Tolkien estate for $150mil of their gross profit participation in the Lord of the Rings films. Then again, New Line have also been taken to court by Peter Jackson and Saul Zaentz (three times I think in the latter case) for failing to either pay out what the plaintiff is due or open up their accounts for the outside financial scrutiny required to determine what monies are due.

One upbeat note to all that is the latest WGA contract ratified this week does allow greater access to the studio books than ever before.