Green Book producer Nick Vallelonga has gone off route in terms of paying dozens of crew members on the upcoming That’s Amore! starring John Travolta, Katherine Heigl, Christopher Walken, Talia Shire and Drea de Mateo.
According to a criticism filed in federal court docket in New York on Dec. 8 by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, double Oscar winner Vallelonga’s That Amore Movie LLC has reneged on an arbitration deal struck between the events on August 18 this yr to pay union members for work carried out in 2022 on the upcoming rom-com. The 77 IATSE members particularly affected carried out the duties of “cinematographer, camera operator, camera assistant, editor, costume designer, wardrobe supervisor, hair and make-up stylists, production designer, art director, scenic artist, electrician, grip, construction, script supervisor, production coordinator, and accountant,” says the Matt Loeb-led union within the eight-page submitting.
“Defendant failed to timely pay wages and benefits to the Union Workers for work performed in October and November 2022, failed to make the required pension and health contributions to the various benefit funds, and failed to act in accordance with other terms and conditions set forth in the CBAs,” the criticism from IATSE Local 600 and a plethora of different locals declare of the union members omitted within the monetary chilly by the That’s Amore director.
Read the That’s Amore! criticism from IATSE right here. By the best way, CBA stands for collective bargaining settlement
“Defendant failed to carry out its obligations under the Settlement Agreement by failing to submit the necessary paperwork in a timely fashion and by failing to make all the agreed upon payments within sixty (60) days of execution of the Settlement Agreement (i.e., by October 17, 2023,) except for certain payments pursuant to Sections 2(a) and (b) of the Settlement Agreement,” IATSE’s Spivak Lipton legal professionals add, noting the funds (quantity sealed in the summertime settlement) have been to be paid in full by Oct. 17.
A Notice of Default was filed in opposition to That’s Amore Movie LLC on October 6, 2023, and October 18, 2023, IATSE say. What appears to rub IASTE much more the mistaken manner is that “the Producers continue to promote the film including but not limited to engaging in expensive marketing strategies and incurring costly expenses such as the recording of a soundtrack with full orchestra despite the non-payment of contractually owed wages and benefits.”
To that finish, in an announcement right now, IATSE pulled again the curtain a bit to disclose that after the 34 million budgeted That’s Amore! supposedly ran out of money in October of final yr, it “owed more than $570,000 in combined wages, as well as an estimated hundred thousand dollars or more of benefit contributions” to staff “for weeks ending October 29, 2022, November 5, 2022 and November 12, 2022.”
That “full and final payment of the Total Settlement Amount” didn’t occur, say IATSE – and now the union desire a choose to “confirm the Award in its entirety and order compliance therewith” plus a number of extra charges.
Representatives for Vallelonga didn’t reply to request for remark from Deadline on the authorized motion. If and once they do get again to us, we’ll replace this put up.
Nick Vallelonga
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
IATSE boss Loeb was not so silent on the subject.
“This lawsuit underscores our commitment to vigorously protecting our members and ensuring that their rights are not trampled upon,” he stated in an announcement Thursday. “In this country, when you work, you get paid. Anything less is theft. We will not stand idly by while companies like That’s Amore Movie, LLC attempt to undermine the fair and hard-won terms of our collective agreements. We will relentlessly pursue all avenues to ensure justice is served.”
In a typo, the criticism calls Vallelonga Green Book’s “Director and Screenwriter.” Peter Farrelly truly directed Green Book. Vallelonga was a producer and co-wrote the film’s script with Brian Hayes Currie snd Farrelly
Having began manufacturing again on Sept. 19, 2022, in line with the IATSE go well with, the lengthy brewing That’s Amore! has Travolta as a longtime bachelor and Heigl as an introvert who find yourself falling for one another. In typical rom-com trend, all of it goes sideways when their respective households resolve to get entangled within the new relationship too.
As effectively as writing and helming the flick, Vallelonga is producing That’s Amore! by means of his Vallelonga Productions, alongside Cassian Elwes for Elevated FIlms, and Brenda Emmett & Vince Emmett of American Troubadours.
Having appeared within the likes of The Godfather and Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark as an actor, Vallelonga received his two Oscars, together with a Golden Globe and different prizes, as the author and producer of 91st Academy Awards’ Best Picture winner Green Book. The film was primarily based on the true story of Vallelonga’s father, Tony Lip and pianist Don Shirley. Starring Viggo Mortensen and Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, the Nov. 2018 launched Green Book grossed over $321M worldwide.