'Gilmore Girls' Producer Sues Warner Bros. TV for Netflix Reboot
While so many fans of "Gilmore Girls" are looking forward to the show's return, one of the series' original producers has filed a lawsuit on Friday, seeking at least $195,000 in damages.
According to court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Gavin Polone is suing Warner Bros. Television for breach of contract. In his lawsuit, Polone explained that he was one of the original show producers and his contract says he will receive $32,500 for every episode that was released after the year 2003. Aside from the said amount, he is also allotted a certain percentage of the show's earnings.
When he heard about the reboot, Polone said he approached the giant entertainment firm, asking for compensation. However, the company declined with the reason that the upcoming four 90-minute episodes cannot be classified under the "television series" category since the installments will be produced for Netflix.
Unlike traditional broadcasting and television networks, Netflix is mainly a streaming service and according to Polone's lawsuit, Warner Bros. TV described the four installments in the revival as "derivative works based on the television series Gilmore Girls."
As the lawsuit suggests, Polone would like to be compensated as part of the initial agreement that he will receive payment for any episodes that will be aired after 2003. Despite Warner Bros.' defense and reasoning, it seems the producer isn't giving up on his cause easily.
Back in 2008, Polone already filed a complaint against the same organization and The WB for another alleged breach of contract. At that time, Polone asked for millions in damages.
A lot of stars from the original cast are returning for the reboot including award-winning star Melissa McCarthy. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel have also confirmed their comeback.
Despite the lawsuit, it seems shooting continues as Netflix released HD photos that give fans a sneak peek of what to expect when the show returns nine years after the series wrapped up in 2007.
