Richard Gere settled dueling litigation with a production company that he accused of being behind a $500,000 extortion plot, but in turn accused him of trying to steal a project he did not own.
Lawyers for Gere Productions Inc. and Random Acts Entertainment LLC told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven J. Kleifield on Tuesday that the case was resolved. No terms were divulged.
According to the suit filed in April 2018, Gere entered into an agreement in December 2009 with Random Acts to develop a movie based on the book, “Bones of the Master: A Buddhist Monk’s Search for the Lost Heart of China.”
Gere, a self-proclaimed Buddhist, planned to produce, direct and star in the movie, while the company agreed they would help with the screenplay, the suit states.
The 69-year-old actor alleged he paid Random Acts $17,500 to get the rights to the book, but never got the money back. He also maintained Random Acts turned in a poor script. Instead of trying to resolve their differences, Random Acts issued Gere an ultimatum to move forward with the project, or pay $500,000, the suit alleges.
Random Acts countersued Gere in May 2018, alleging he wanted to “steal a project he does not own” and that the actor’s conduct was “the antithesis of the alleged Buddhist beliefs he publicly prattles on about.”