Actress Eva Green has won her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.
The 42-year-old sued White Lantern Film after A Patriot was abandoned in October 2019, claiming she was entitled to her million-dollar fee for the film despite its cancellation under the terms of their agreement.
But White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance brought a counter-claim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent film's production and renounced the contract.
In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Green ruled in Ms Green’s favour, ruling she was entitled to the fee, and dismissed the counter-claim.
"In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it," the judge said.
During the trial in London earlier this year, Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern, said Ms Green had shown a "categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform" and repeatedly made "unreasonable demands".
Edmund Cullen KC, for Ms Green, said the actress had been subjected to a "character assassination", adding it was "based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around".
During her evidence, Ms Green denied the allegations that she was not prepared to go ahead with the project, saying: "In the 20 years that I have been making films, I have never broken a contract or even missed one day of shooting."
In a statement issued after the ruling, Ms Green said: "I have won my claim against the financiers of the proposed film – and all the allegations which they made against me have been wholly rejected by the judge.
"My professional reputation has been upheld. The judge has found that I was never in breach of my contractual obligations. The judgment is clear. I am grateful to the court, to the judge, to my legal team and to my valiant agent, who is my strength and my shield."
Source: Press Association
