Eva Green blames ‘Frenchness’ for insulting director
LONDON: James Bond actress Eva Green on Monday told a UK court her “Frenchness” led her to call a film director “weak and stupid” and accuse him of making a cheap “B shitty movie”.
The High Court battle revolves around never-made sci-fi film “A Patriot”, in which the French “Casino Royale” actress was due to play a soldier.
Green is seeking payment of her $1 million (£810,000) acting fee for the aborted project from UK-based production company White Lantern Film.
The production company is countersuing, alleging that she derailed the £4 million project by making “unreasonable demands”.
White Lantern lawyer Max Mallin read out messages sent by Green in which she disparaged the film’s producers and director.
Mallin read out an email she sent to her agent Charles Collier in which she said “I am very worried, they are super weak and stupid”, referring to director Dan Pringle and business partner Adam Merrifield.
Green responded in court that the messages were “my Frenchness coming out”.
“Sometimes I say emotional things I don’t really mean. Of course they are not weak and stupid,” the actress, wearing jeans, a black jumper and a dark green jacket, added.
The 42-year-old actress signed up to the project in 2018, but became increasingly uneasy as funding issues meant that UK producer Jake Seal began to assume more control.
She said in another message that she was worried his influence would turn the project into a “B shitty movie”, telling court that being involved with it could destroy her career.
“I don’t care about the money. I live to make good films. It’s my religion,” she told court. — AFP