Veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought against him by an aspiring screenwriter, Simon Afram, who alleged that Scorsese took $500,000 without fulfilling his end of the agreement. The lawsuit, filed in May 2023, accused Scorsese of essentially doing nothing after being hired as an executive producer for Afram’s World War II movie screenplay, Operation: Fortitude.
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“Defendants never made Mr. Scorsese available for a single phone call, meeting or other interaction,” the lawsuit alleges.
Afram and his co-producer, Edward Kahl, sought Scorsese’s involvement to attract A-list talent and kickstart production in Europe. However, according to the plaintiffs, Scorsese failed to engage with the project, refusing meetings and calls despite repeated attempts. They eventually requested a refund but were unsuccessful.
In response, Scorsese’s attorneys argued that Afram lacked industry experience and unrealistic expectations, highlighting his limited track record and the lengthy development process typical in filmmaking. They contended that Scorsese had identified potential directors for the project and reached out to them, albeit without success.
The legal battle persisted for nearly a year until both parties announced a settlement. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.