BOND PRODUCERS SUED
Posted: 020618

There has been a lawsuit filed against MGM and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment over the James Bond franchise. U.S. District Court judge Ricardo Martinez has ruled that Mary Johnson has a right to sue MGM over the Bond 50th Anniversary disc set because 1967’s Casino Royale and 1983’s Never Say Never Again weren’t included in the set. When the box set was released in September 2012 it was sold as a box that would include all the Bond films out and had a slot open to include Skyfall. Casino Royale was never an official part of the series and Never Say Never Again was a remake of Thunderball from another studio with serious rights issues. But since the set claimed to contain all the Bond films then the judge concluded that it is reasonable for those who bought the box set to believe the two films would be included. MGM has offered the fact that Johnson bought the box set on Amazon and that there is no direct contractual relationship. I would just send her copies of the films and tell her to go away. Royale was a comedy and Never was a pointless remake.