A judge has ordered a film production company to pay Kevin Costner $985,000 to satisfy his claim that the firm used his name to attract investor interest in the movie “Shanghai Sojourners” at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2016, then later fired him, court papers obtained Tuesday show.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly Kendig said during a hearing last Wednesday that she will sign a judgment in favor of the actor-director on April 23 that will include any interest owed.
Costner’s attorneys had asked for a judgment of $1.3 million.
Kylin attorney Bennett Bigman said in his court papers that while he would have preferred more time for his clients to pay the full amount, the $985,000 was the maximum that should be awarded because the parties had settled for $1,085,000 and his clients had already made a $100,000 partial payment with borrowed money.
The two sides reached a conditional settlement in September, but Kylin’s lawyers stated in their court papers that a complete resolution still required the completion of some remaining terms. Costner, along with production company Treehouse Films LLC, sued Kylin Pictures in October 2016.
According to the complaint, Treehouse and Beacon Films signed a deal in April 2016 to produce “Shanghai Sojourners,” the story of a Chinese woman who falls in love with a Jewish man during World War II and tries to help him escape the Nazis. Costner and producer Armyan Bernstein were set to receive a combined producing fee of $3 million, the lawsuit states.
On top of that, Treehouse and Beacon were to receive a $1 million overhead fee and a share of profits, the complaint alleges.
During the Shanghai International Film Festival in the summer of 2016, Kylin promoted the film and highlighted the involvement of Costner and Treehouse, resulting in investments in the film. According to the suit, Kylin had already decided to fire Costner and Treehouse, but waited until August 2016 to tell them.