She nicknamed herself "Cruella".
In text messages brought to light by the lawyers of the company White Lantern Films, whose trial against Eva Green began this Thursday, January 26, the actress takes on this nickname, describes an English producer as a "f**kin' fool” and claims that his financial supporters are “assholes”.
For her part, the main interested party accuses the production company of wanting to “pass her off as a diva” by revealing these private exchanges.
To discover
Scandals
podcast
> Jeff Bezos: the billionaire who wanted to look younger at all costs
Watch the Business Masterclass “Investing can be learned” in replay
Read alsoEva Green's surprise support for Johnny Depp, in the middle of the trial against Amber Heard
On video, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp: from glam to sordid
A stamp of 920,000 euros
Tensions whose origin dates back to 2019. The actress is then preparing to shoot in the science fiction film
A Patriot
, by Dan Pringle, the story of an employee who evolves in a futuristic universe, and works for a authoritarian government.
In October 2019, White Lantern Films decided to abandon the project.
Eva Green then sued the producers of the feature film for 4.5 million euros, in order to recover her fee of 920,000 euros.
"
Pay-or-play
"
The actress, also executive producer of the film, had estimated that this sum was due to her, and this, despite the cancellation of the project, under the clause “
pay or play
” included in her contract.
This stipulates that the production company pays the artist his salary, even if his services are ultimately not required.
White Lantern Films, for its part, filed a counterclaim (a kind of legal counterattack) and argued that the Bond Girl's "excessive demands" had sabotaged the production of
A Patriot
.
However, for Edmund Cullen, Eva Green's lawyer, the financial plan established to shoot the feature film has always been doomed to failure.
"Eva Green was passionate about this project," he added.
The theme of the film, namely climate change, is of great concern to her.
She liked the script and wanted the film to be made.
She went above and beyond for that.”
What White Lantern Films disputed, arguing that the actress had expressed a “lack of confidence and dissatisfaction” with regard to certain members of the company.
Scandals, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp: a trial under very high tension
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
An “evil” person
In an SMS unearthed by the lawyers of White Lantern Films, Eva Green describes in particular Jake Seal, one of the producers, as an “evil” person.
“I can't believe it, what a fool, this Jake… pure vomit”, she wrote in a text dated August 2019. To which Edmund Cullen retorted: “This lawsuit is intended to make my client pass for a diva, so that it would make headlines and damage her reputation.”
The lawyer pointed out that Eva Green had shown good will by agreeing to "the transfer of production from Ireland to England", and offered to use "part of her fees to offset production costs".
And the lawyer concludes: "All this seems to be intended to sully the reputation of an actress who has not broken a contract or missed a day of filming once in the space of her 20-year career."
A trial that should end in eight days.
Judge Michael Green, responsible for deciding, will deliver his verdict at a later date.