‘Fast and Furious’ producer sues after being sidelined
“Fast and Furious” producer Neal Moritz is suing Universal after being bumped off the new spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” and future films in the US$5.1 billion series.
Moritz is known for his contentious negotiation style, but for about 20 years, Universal has managed to tolerate him on the “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. And it has been mutually beneficial in the extreme, with eight films having grossed more than US$5.1 billion worldwide and more to come.
But now, in the wake of a bitter legal dispute over the “Hobbs & Shaw” spinoff set for an Aug 1 release, the studio has not only dropped Moritz from that film, but also banished him from any role in future “Fast and Furious” movies starting with No. 9, which begins shooting in weeks.
Moritz, 59, is pay-or-play, meaning Universal has to compensate him on the “Fast and Furious” movies even if executives don’t want him involved, so booting him is a costly proposition. The parties still haven’t worked out how much that tab will run, setting the stage for another legal battle.
But looking at Universal’s big-picture “Fast and Furious” plans, maybe severing ties with Moritz won’t be as expensive — financially and in terms of psychic energy — as keeping him around. That is, if the studio can prevail in court.
While Universal is willing to pay Moritz off for the main “Fast and Furious” movies, it contends in court papers that he has no right to act as producer of “Hobbs & Shaw”. Moritz is entitled to that role on sequels and reboots but not spinoffs, the studio says. But Moritz counters he had a deal — an oral agreement with Universal president Jimmy Horowitz — to produce “Hobbs & Shaw” and worked on the picture until he was dropped on the eve of shooting. (Oral agreements are commonplace at Universal.)
“Hobbs & Shaw” takes the Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham characters from “The Fate of the Furious” on a new adventure without the rest of the cast. Though the film’s full title is “Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”, a Universal source says the presence of only two characters is not enough to establish that Moritz has any right to be involved. Moritz seeks not only the money he says he is owed as producer, but also millions more in reputational damages.
Said a source familiar with the franchise’s story: “It’s always hard getting those movies up and running. There are a lot of heavy hitters, a lot of emotion, a lot of people who feel ownership.” Moritz is very exacting on his deals, this person adds, and “has a legal team that likes to get on the phone and send letters.”