Pine Sued By Former Agency
2 min read
Chris Pine‘s former talent agency, SDB Partners, has filed a suit against the actor after being dropped via email in November.
SDB Partners took a chance on Pine back in 2002 when “nobody was willing to touch [him],” and helped the actor to land various roles including that of James T. Kirk on Star Trek XI.
According to the details of the lawsuit, “Through this lawsuit, SDB seeks to not only recover its commissions on millions of dollars that Pine has already earned, but also the millions of dollars that Pine will continue to earn as a result of SDB’s prior hard work and dedication to Pine’s career.”
Pine supposedly has ceased paying the standard ten percent commission on his projects, including Star Trek XI, and a request by the agency for Pine to “acknowledge his financial obligations” has gone unanswered.
Although loyal to SDB Partners for years, Pine decided to finally part ways with them when a last meeting failed to produce results. “After much thought and consideration, I have decided that it is best for me to leave,” Pine said in his email to SDB Partners. “I hope that you will understand that this decision was very difficult for me to make because I owe much of the success in my career to all of you. At our last group meeting I explained that I was frustrated and needed more than what I was getting from the agency. I thought that with some time, perhaps, my feelings might change but unfortunately they have not.”
The lawsuit also provided details of Pine’s compensation for his projects, including Star Trek. Allegedly, he is to receive $1.5 million plus up to $500,000 in backend compensation for Star Trek 2, and three million dollars plus the $500,000 in backend for a third Star Trek film, if one is produced. Pine also receives five percent of net merchandising revenue from name and likeness exploitation.
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Relatively low frontend, but that 5% net on the merchandising is solid, and the agency did okay by him there.
I loved him in the movie, and granted the talent agency was great to help get him the part, but trying to grab future commission for unrealized projects seems a bit much. Hopefully the lawsuit falls through. They may have gotten him in the door, but after that, he’s the one keeping it open in the end.
“I hope that you will understand that this decision was very difficult for me to make because I owe much of the success in my career to all of you.”
And, apparently, a whole lot of money… if he didn’t even pay them for his initial ST deal, he’s really trying to screw them. Think he’d be Kirk without them?
And in terms of the future amount they’re asking for, I’m sure they’re not talking about the full extent of his future career. But, if he went under contract for Star Trek while still being represented by these folks, then they should benefit for the entirety of the contract… which appears to be a three picture deal. He hasn’t paid them what he owes them from the first. They want to make sure he pays them that and the money they’ll be owed for the contract they secured… that’s fair, it seems to me.
Pine, on the other hand seems entirely out there on this. He told them he was ending the relationship because he wanted MORE?!?! He fired them in November. Star Trek came out in 2009. That was 2+ years ago. So, he didn’t pay them for 2 years, but left because they weren’t doing enough?!?!
Entitled much?
They do need to be paid for what they did do. Also, if they arranged deals for him that have long-term results, they may be contractually entitled to a percentage. However, the wording of the lawsuit makes it sound as though they want a piece of whatever Pine does in the future, and they are not entitled to that.
The good thing is, this is all in a day’s work in Hollywood, and will get sorted out pretty quickly.
For you it’s like misinformed, jumping to conclusion much. Like most I assume that just sees this as “oh he’s just another this or that” you don’t know what happened between the two parties of course, but carry on.
I can read.
I was commenting on the story as presented here, not necessarily the facts of the situation itself.
But from the story, it clearly said his reps weren’t paid for ST, and that he left because his reps weren’t doing enough… If you know something to the contrary, share with the group… otherwise, it’s not me making conjecture, it’s you. I just responded to the facts as presented in the story.