Lawsuit Filed Against James Caan’s Latest Film, ‘Fast Charlie’ by Writer – Deadline

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Screenwriter Lee Goldberg is suing two production companies in a dispute over the late James Caan’s latest film, the crime drama Quick Charlie.

Quick Charlie is director Phillip Noyce’s take on Victor Gischler’s Edgar Award-nominated novel gun monkeys. It centers on Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), who worked for aging mob boss Stan (Caan) for 20 years, deftly operating as a prolific fixer and efficient hitman. When a rival boss moves in to take out Stan and his entire team, he fails to get Charlie. Now alone, Charlie will stop at nothing to avenge his friend and has no intention of leaving anyone alive.

Goldberg and his company, Adventures in Television, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday against Boomtown Media Partners LLC and Fast Charlie Nola LLC, alleging breach of contract and seeking declaratory relief.

Representatives of the defendants could not immediately be reached.

Goldberg wrote for Psych, Monk, Diagnosis Murder and Baywatch. He claims to have entered into a written contract in March 2021 with Boomtown Media to obtain the option to acquire the film, television and ancillary rights to gun monkeysa screenplay written by Goldberg based on Gischler’s novel of the same name.

All monies owed to Goldberg’s company were to be paid to Goldberg if a film was made based on Gun Monkeys with credits in main titles, home video packaging and other areas, according to the suit.

Goldberg believes Boomtown has licensed rights to Fast Charlie Nola, which began filming in April 2022 Quick Charliea movie based on gun monkeysbut the claimant did not receive the agreed purchase price or provide through his company the first opportunity to make changes to the script.

The film, shot in New Orleans, has been completed, but has not yet been released. Goldberg and company want a preliminary injunction preventing the defendants from distributing Fast Charlie available until a decision is made regarding the plaintiffs’ writing rights and co-production credits. The suit also seeks compensatory damages.

Caan died on July 6 at the age of 82 and was known for starring in films such as The Godfather, Thief and Brian’s Song.

The Quick Charlie The set also includes Gbenga Akkinagbe, Morena Baccarin and Toby Huss. Richard Wenk (The Magnificent Seven, The equalizer) has a screenwriting credit on the film, with Daniel Grodnik (Policeman) and Mitchell Welch (Command string) serving as producers. David Fannon and Seth Needle from Screen Media, Mark Damon and Tamara Birkemoe from Foresight Unlimited and David Nagelberg were his EPs, with UTA Independent Film Group arranging the financing.

Screen Media owns the worldwide rights to the photo and plans to release it in early 2023.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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