I want to speak to someone at Paramount right know. I give you a legal and economic basis of cancelling JJ Trek
Dear Paramount
RE: STAR TREK 3/13
I know you have been looking for grounds to get out of the contract, and I am sure your lawyers have implied this but I am going to tell you straight out, you have more than enough grounds for the film to be cancelled immediately.
1. Contract:
a. Yes you have a contract with bad robot which demands a third movie. That is fine; you also have a contract with your investors. Your investors are your sole mandate not Bad Robot.
2. Budget:
a. Bad robot have insisted on a budget higher than the 80 million you have offered, you cannot be held responsible in law if they refuse the mandate you have given them.
b. The release date is a significant issue. Tarzan is the week before, this expected to bring in more than 150 million in return alone. The week after Ice age 5. This film is going to cost you more than half of your market. The following week you are expecting even harsher competition with Gostbusters, King Arthur and Bourne 5, with the following week being confronted by Suicide Squad. Suicide Squad is a comic book film, based on a property from a major comic book distributor. Nothing will beat this film.
c. The fan hatred. This film is facing a lot of fan hatred already, more than I to Darkness ever did. Into Darkness did not see a positive return for Paramount, and this film is not expected to either. The 50th may be 2016, however more fans will NOT see the movie as it is the true definition of non star trek. Furthermore, Pegg’s comments and Orci’s comments have just angered already disgruntled fans, many estimates that I have read have put that as already 20% of the market alienated.
3. Previous Records:
a. Paramount have already had a bad few years. If 2016 cannot provide a good return I question Paramount’s responsibility to its investors.
b. Your hard and soft audits of the accounting records of Star Trek Into Darkness have revealed financial irregularities in the film. This may circumstantial evidence, but on Appeal, Bad Robot’s contract would have lapsed and you could have made an alternative on a smaller budget, without alienating half of your existing fans.
c. Bad Robot has implied, if not admitted to having paid employees to defend the movies in social media, which is a misrepresentation of numbers, and therefore the facts. This is by definition is Fraud. I know paramount has this evidence.
d. Defamation can be to some extent considered criminal. Both writers, Pegg and Orci, acting in the course of their duties as employees of Bad Robot have defamed the fan base.
4. Alternatives:
a. The 50th Anniversary is coming, and with that, you want a film that can unite the fan base, and allow Paramount to see a return. You have options available to you. If you decide to not provide the current film with a budget, you have weakened Bad Robot’s position. You will see legal action; however, you can settle that out of court with a Producers fee based on the 80 million you offered. You can abandon this film and leave the situation with your reputation intact.
b. The movie will based on all estimates fail to give Paramount a stable return. Your responsibility is to your investors, and as such you cannot be required to make this film. I therefore suggest alternative options.
i. Option one, CBS has provided you with a script that fits in with their agenda. The script will allow you to negate the character right issue and inaugurate something that has more potential on a smaller budget than Bad Robot is offering you, you can also produce this entirely in house, which only increases your return.
ii. Option two: CBS does not own the rights to Star Trek The Beginning, Paramount do. Gail Berman was right on one aspect, name recognition sells. I suggest this Option. The Amendments that can be made to this script are minor; Chase can be changed to Kirk, paternal grandfather…. All you need to say in the trailer is Kirk. The Spartan, needs to be changed to the Enterprise, and this film will simply ignore the events of These are the Voyages…, put a line in there saying it’s the warp 7 prototype. The ship does not need a new design, you have a design, and that is the Ringship Enterprise. Fans want to see it, in canon. This film will save you a lot of hatred towards the new movie, it will be a prequel, and can be set in either universe if done correctly, and without Bad Robot. Furthermore, this film will inaugurate a Trilogy of movies, something Paramount can see return on. If it fails, then CBS can cover you by doing a miniseries concluding it.
So In conclusion, Paramount, your sole mandate is to the investors of National Amusements and Viacom not Bad Robot, your ground is they rejected what you offered and they cannot do much as you would have seen a potential return by the time you settle the dispute. You have a criminal element here, which will violate the morality clause within your contract, and you have a financial incentives not to allow this movie to continue. You have alternatives at your disposal, I invite Paramount to use them.
