Maverick Films

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Maverick Films
Type Production company
Founded Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (1992/2001)
Founder Maverick Picture Company: Madonna, Frederick DeMann, Ronnie Dashev
Maverick Films: Madonna, Guy Oseary
Headquarters Burbank, California, Flag of the United States United States
Key people Mark Morgan, CEO
Guy Oseary
Industry Entertainment
Products Motion pictures, television programs, music videos
Website Maverick.com

Maverick Films is an American film production company which was founded by Madonna and CEO of Maverick Records, Guy Oseary. [1] It is the film division of entertainment company, Maverick and owned by Warner Music Group.

Contents

[edit] History

Founded as Maverick Picture Company in April 1992 by Madonna, Frederick DeMann, Ronnie Dashev and Warner Music Group. It was the film division of Maverick, an entertainment company which also owns Maverick Records and was part of a $60 million deal between Madonna and Time Warner. [2] The first film it produced was Dangerous Game in 1993, directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Madonna, Harvey Keitel and James Russo.

In 2001, it became Maverick Films which was founded by Madonna and Guy Oseary. The CEO of the company is Mark Morgan. The company develops and supports independent producers, who are encouraged to find, acquire and develop a broad range of properties that appeal to their individual artistic and commercial tastes. This approach has enabled Maverick to place nearly a dozen projects in various stages of development with major and mini-major motion picture studios. The company has had moderate success with motion pictures such as Agent Cody Banks and television comedy The Riches. [3]

As of June 2004, Madonna no longer owns any interest in the company as she was bought out as the result of a lawsuit between Maverick and Warner. [4] She currently develops movies through new venture Semtex Films. [5]

[edit] Lawsuit

On October 27, 2006, Maverick Films filed a claim in the Los Angeles Superior Court, against Beverly Hills-based Inferno Distribution for unfairly representing itself to gain access to confidential information about a movie it was making called The Stanford Prison Experiment. Inferno announced in early October that it was funding a remake of the German film "Das Experiment," based on the Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971. The lawsuit claims Inferno and partner Bill Johnson "represented that they had no involvement in a competing film project and that all information provided to them would be maintained in the strictest confidence. Defendants lied."[6]

Maverick acquired rights to the story in 2002 from Philip G. Zimbardo, a psychology professor at Stanford University who conducted an experiment on obedience in 1971. He recruited 24 men to portray inmates and guards in a prison setting. Zimbardo planned to study the men for two weeks, but dangerous behavior among them prompted him to stop the experiment after six days. According to the lawsuit, Maverick began developing its film based on the experiment in June 2003 and first met with Johnson and Inferno in May 2006.[7]

Johnson told The Associated Press that the lawsuit was groundless. "Maverick knew full well when they approached us to finance their movie that we were looking at the other project," he said. "In fact, that's the reason they approached us in the first place. We didn't like the project and that's why we passed on it. This is just a classic case of sour grapes." Maverick's lawsuit alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, breach of contract and fraud. It seeks an injunction preventing Inferno from producing or marketing any film based on the Stanford Prison Experiment. It also seeks damages of at least $50 million. [8] Inferno countersued in December 2006, alleging slander, unfair competition and interference with contractual relations. The countersuit said the company was making an English-language version of a German movie that examined the psychological effects of prison.[9]

The case was settled on January 16, 2008 and allows Maverick to move forward with its movie depicting a Stanford University psychology professor's experiment using a simulated prison setting to study obedience in humans. Inferno agreed to drop its countersuit against Maverick. The settlement did not involve the exchange of money, Inferno lawyer Jonathan M. Levitan said. "I think both sides are happy to resolve the case outside of litigation," Maverick attorney Gary S. Raskin said.[10]

As of May 2008 they are in litigation for failure to pay their crew for 2 weeks of work on the up coming Victor Garcia film "Slaughter": (Producers Cheri Wozniak and Mark Morgan) Production halted mid December 2007, and the company claims that the production is moving forward with a different crew in a different state. The members of the crew and IATSE are seeking damages.

[edit] Productions

Maverick Films: [11]

Maverick Picture Company: [12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.patriotpictures.com/MG/production.htm
  2. ^ Madonna Makes a $60 Million Deal - New York Times
  3. ^ http://www.patriotpictures.com/MG/production.htm
  4. ^ Madonna Settles Fight with Record Label - Madonna : People.com
  5. ^ Semtex Films [us]
  6. ^ Madonna's film company claims idea theft - USATODAY.com
  7. ^ Madonna's film company claims idea theft - USATODAY.com
  8. ^ Madonna's film company claims idea theft - USATODAY.com
  9. ^ Maverick Films, rival firm settle suit - USATODAY.com
  10. ^ Maverick Films, rival firm settle suit - USATODAY.com
  11. ^ Maverick Films [us]
  12. ^ Maverick Picture Company [us]