View Full Version : HBO lays the Smackdown on Sopranos star!
TheEnforcer
03-11-2003, 06:57 PM
http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-03-11-hb...nterclaim_x.htm (http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-03-11-hbo-counterclaim_x.htm)
HBO files counterclaim against Gandolfini
LOS ANGELES (AP) — HBO fired back Tuesday at The Sopranos star James Gandolfini in court, saying the actor must settle his contract dispute or risk being liable for more than $100 million in damages.
In a counterclaim filed in Superior Court, HBO is "seeking the damages that will result from his failure and refusal to perform his contract," said Bert Fields, the attorney for the cable channel.
"Those damages are staggering. It would mean the loss of two years of The Sopranos that is probably in excess of $100 million," Fields said Tuesday.
Gandolfini, who plays New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano in the hit HBO drama, had filed a Superior Court complaint claiming that HBO breached his contract.
HBO missed a deadline for advising him that his services would be needed for a fifth season, scheduled to begin filming on March 24, the actor alleged.
Fields called Gandolfini's claims "frivolous" and "demonstrably false."
The complaint didn't mean that Gandolfini would fail to report for filming, Gandolfini's attorney, Martin Singer, said last week. A call to Singer seeking comment Tuesday was not immediately returned.
Fields said Gandolfini must do more than come to work.
"We can't proceed if he doesn't affirm his contract," the lawyer for HBO said. "If he sticks with the position he's taking now, we won't have another season of The Sopranos."
The dispute is linked to Gandolfini's salary demands, Fields said. Although HBO offered him a "very generous increase, he asked for a massive one," he said.
He declined to give specifics. The Daily News of New York has reported that Gandolfini, who earns about $400,000 an episode, is seeking $1 million an episode, while HBO is offering $800,000.
On Sunday, Gandolfini received a Screen Actors Guild award for his role in The Sopranos. In his acceptance speech, he called HBO "a great place to work."
Mike AI
03-11-2003, 07:06 PM
HAHA That is funny - I guess James does not realize he is really a mafia kingpin!!
:P
MikeW
03-11-2003, 08:26 PM
hahahahahahaha...
I can do a pretty good New York/Italian accent ... fuck, I'll do the show for $250K an epsiode and save them money and the hassle ;-))))
:blink:
:rokk: :rokk: :rokk:
TheEnforcer
03-11-2003, 08:54 PM
From all the bitching and complaining I heard here and from my parents about the show last season I say it's "Jumped the Shark" and wouldn';t be missed as much as people think it would!!
RawAlex
03-11-2003, 11:17 PM
Like anything, you know the end of the good times is near when the total unadultrated greed sets in.
250k an episode - 16 episodes would be 4 million a season... for a show that doesn't sell any ad space - and doesn't increase it's subscriber fees because it has a good show on.
Alex
shawcutie
03-12-2003, 12:36 PM
Does anybody watch this show at all???
OMG, we watch it religiously! We bought the
DVDs for the first 3 seasons. The 3rd season was
pretty crappy.
Mike AI
03-12-2003, 12:42 PM
Yeah last season Sopranos sucked - of course you cannot blame actors, its the writers who made it bad....
I wonder what kind of backend deals they have - doest he 250k per episode cover DVD sales, and then syndication?
Will be interesting to see how it works out, I am sure they will find a compromise....
Hopefully they will make their final season top notch!
I am still telling everyone that THE SHIELD is the best shw on TV right now, last nights episode was GREAT!!!
TheEnforcer
03-12-2003, 03:21 PM
Cop shows are too formulaic for me Mike. Other than sports, politics, and wrestling I watch JAG, Enterprise, Mr. Sterling, Stargate SG-1, and Veritas:The Quest. The one cop show I did enjoy watching UC: Undercover got cancelled last year!! <_<
VooMan
03-12-2003, 03:23 PM
Yeah Mike, I am a big fan of the Shield, and last night was good. :)
I am amazed at how Vick always manages to cover his ass! :-)))
Mike AI
03-12-2003, 03:40 PM
TE you should give the Shield a Chance!!
Voo - last episode where he had the ass. chief pass his own assassin was CLASSIC!!!!
TheEnforcer
03-12-2003, 03:53 PM
Maybe I will check it out. Is it a show you can pick up midseason and not be lost?
VooMan
03-12-2003, 04:22 PM
Yeah Mike, I couldn't believe it when Vick told him that!
"I won't call him, but Shane will..." hahaha
I liked UC Undercover as well. I was disappointed when it got the ax. :(
shawcutie
03-12-2003, 05:42 PM
Ok, dont laugh, but you know what show I love....CSI....its great!!
Brad doesnt like it because he says its too staged, but I think its fun!
Anyone else a CSI fan?
originalheather
03-12-2003, 07:38 PM
Enforcer, I think you can pick it up where it is, but the first season is out on DVD and I saw it on that dvd rental site that Peaches belongs to. I loved the first season.
Originally posted by shawcutie@Mar 12 2003, 09:44 AM
Does anybody watch this show at all???
OMG, we watch it religiously! We bought the
DVDs for the first 3 seasons. The 3rd season was
pretty crappy.
http://bbs.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.p...ghlight=soprano (http://bbs.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92890&highlight=soprano)
Somebody sure did like it not too long ago.
Originally posted by TheEnforcer@Mar 12 2003, 08:29 PM
Cop shows are too formulaic for me Mike. Other than sports, politics, and wrestling I watch JAG, Enterprise, Mr. Sterling, Stargate SG-1, and Veritas:The Quest. The one cop show I did enjoy watching UC: Undercover got cancelled last year!! <_<
Stargate SG-1, you sir are a true connoisseur :wnw:
I've been getting all wrapped up in the new season of 24 as well :rokk:
TheEnforcer
03-13-2003, 11:13 AM
Originally posted by originalheather@Mar 12 2003, 07:46 PM
Enforcer, I think you can pick it up where it is, but the first season is out on DVD and I saw it on that dvd rental site that Peaches belongs to. I loved the first season.
Ok.. I'll try it out and see if I like it.
TheEnforcer
03-13-2003, 11:17 AM
Originally posted by Trev+Mar 13 2003, 06:02 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Trev @ Mar 13 2003, 06:02 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--TheEnforcer@Mar 12 2003, 08:29 PM
Cop shows are too formulaic for me Mike. Other than sports, politics, and wrestling I watch JAG, Enterprise, Mr. Sterling, Stargate SG-1, and Veritas:The Quest. The one cop show I did enjoy watching UC: Undercover got cancelled last year!! <_<
Stargate SG-1, you sir are a true connoisseur :wnw:
I've been getting all wrapped up in the new season of 24 as well :rokk:[/b][/quote]
Oh yeah.. Stargate SG-1 rocks. Got it on DVD and can't wait for the 3rd season to come out. I've read that the season ender for it is quite shocking and easily the best season ender they have had yet. I'm not sure which season you are on as I know a few people who aren't watching the current season because they watch the show in syndication and didn't want to skip a full season.
I think Tony and the Boys should go whack the writers who were responsible for the "ho-hum" last season. The actors themselves carried the show as best as they could, but the writers deserve the old Mafia treatment for what they did to the storyline.
Good questions raised - if the cost per episode doesn't include any DVD rights, etc. then that might be the real reasoning behind the raise demands. They are making a bundle off DVD sales alone - and I'm SURE that HBO picked up LOTS of new subscribers because of the Sopranos buzz. I know when we were whittling down our satellite subscription (500 channels of shit is still 500 channels of shit - lol) the 1st thing we marked that we REFUSED to give up was our HBO package because of these original dramas, original documentaries and the kids like the HBO Family channel in the afternoons. The Sopranos were a big part of our staying with HBO - and I think HBO knows that it's that way for a lot of people.
Hope they come back for another season. *crossing fingers* B)
TheEnforcer
03-13-2003, 12:27 PM
Looks like this isn't gonna be resolved anytime soon!!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2003Mar13.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19838-2003Mar13.html)
RawAlex
03-13-2003, 12:35 PM
Same basic story on CNN:
http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/13/news/compa...ranos/index.htm (http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/13/news/companies/hbo_sopranos/index.htm)
Production put off, 300 people told they have no work as a result.
:-(
Alex
LOL perhaps its all a plot to generate more publicity for the show
You know I was thinking that... the show needed something more - but hype definitely wasn't what I was thinking.
I still say we should whack the writers.....
:nyanya:
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