Tommy Lee Jones Seeks $10M In "No Country For Old Men" Lawsuit

SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ Tommy Lee Jones is suing the makers of "No Country for Old Men" for more than $10 million that the Oscar-winning actor claims he is owed for starring in the 2007 hit crime thriller.

The lawsuit against Paramount Pictures claims that Jones was promised "significant box-office bonuses" and other compensation depending on the success of the film, which went on to make more than $160 million.

The movie, which is set in Texas and based on a critically acclaimed Cormac McCarthy novel, garnered four Academy Awards, including "Best Picture."

A message left for Paramount Pictures on Saturday was not immediately returned. Jones declined to comment through his publicist, Jennifer Allen, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

"The paperwork stands for itself," Allen said.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Bexar County in San Antonio. N.M. Classics, Inc., a Paramount subsidiary, is also named in the lawsuit.

Jones, who played Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in the film, claims he was not paid promised bonuses and had expenses wrongly deducted. The suit says Jones was paid a reduced upfront fee in joining the film, and that his contract had known errors not corrected before the movie was made.

Jones, 61, is asking that an auditor be named to review financial records to determine how much he should be paid.

Comments

[stinkinthinkin]

It's kind of sad that such a negative movie made so much money. It's not that a movie can't be bleak and depressing, it's just that McCarthy seems to want to tell us how the world is, and that I can't stand. One of his books is said to explore "the myth of aboriginal victimization" as it relates to Native Americans. Myth? I think this guy is a mean old conservative.

[Bosoxnation1972]

I want my 9 bucks back! I am a huge movie buff, and was expecting to see what I had heard was one of the best movies EVER MADE, so I rented this movie and watched it on my brany new 62 inch sony expecting to be blown away! Instead I was bored to death! At the end, when the credits started rolling, I had to rewind it because I completely lost interest in what Tommy Lee Jones was talking about! I've seen EVERY movie that has won the academy award for best picture since On the Waterfront, which won in 1954, and for me this is BY FAR the absolute worst! The only movie that came even close to being as boring was Chariots of fire, which I saw when I was 9 years old, so I really didn't appreciate it.
Give me Unforgiven with Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood over this piece of crap any day! I will say that it was a particularly bad year for movies as the others that were nominated weren't much better. I did enjoy Juno, but couldn't see it winning best picture of the year!

[ully]

no one penny for Tommy Lee! too old and not wise! silly tommee! just vote Mc cain,the real patriot doesnt need Hollywood to be a president!God bless Mc cain and Sarah Palin!

[Spud777]

ugly, are you part of the Sarah Palin 'truth" thugs. Republicans appear to have a genetic defect that requires them to lie like a rug.

[Acoustic Bob]

They're fighting over 10 million dollars...
It's just like the plot of the movie!
Life imitates art once again!

[armadillious2002]

Without Tommy - i doubt if the movie would have made nearly so much. Hang in there Tommy and hold their feet to the fire.

[HoracePManure]

They should just flip a coin and "call it friendo".

[writerforhire]

If Tommy Lee Jones made a gentleman's agreement for any back end dividends so that the film could stay on production schedule than paramount who is netted multiple gold should pay up.

[HTN]

Good Luck Tommy!
You deserve every penny.

[Voltage]

$10 mil is nothing to the studio. Pay the man.

[kassandrasduplex]

That film was gratuitous, disgusting violence. Another testimony to the inability of its leading acter to produce an artistic film of any socially redeeming value.
But being from Old Oil Money, Tommy Lee will likely prevail.
His performance was passable. The vehicle was pulp trash.

[the964kid]

Tommy Lee is gonna win this hands down. He was great in that movie and deserves every penny.

[ascannerlightly]

no money for old men

[InLosAngeles]

lol

[pravin]

If Tommy Lee thinks he deserves 10M, how much does Javier Bardem deserve for this movie? 50M?

Tommy Lee was pretty much in there so they could justify that title no country for old men. They could have cast any old solid actor in his role.

[ttlms]

Well, maybe they could have, but they cast Jones. He's the one who deserves the benefit of his bargain.

[holyhandgrenaid]

His contracts included him being paid it, Bardem, it would seem, got what he was entitled to legally. Sadly, how well an actor plays a role has little to do with what they get paid for it

Besides, this was one of Jones's best roles IMHO

[Beka13]

One of the Stupidest movies I ever watched...­.What is wrong with you people who liked it? Why do they keep giving oscars to boring, Stupid unwatchable movies like this?

[Lrichardson14]

Golly, I'm not stupid and many films are worthless. This one is a jewel, though. Possibly you have a short attention span or there were not enough high tech special effects in it for you. Tommy Lee Jones is an excellent actor and a deal is a deal... he needs to be compensated as per his request.

[Propaghandi]

10 bucks says Beka is Michael Bay's biggest fan.

[blooddoc]

And "Transformers" is Beka's favorite movie.

[jaundicedview]

Sorry Tommy Lee got shafted, but in a way it's reassuring when one of the Big Guys are subject to the kind of crap the rest of us have to deal with. Promises are always made when a movie ramps up for production, but it's merely a dance. They have more lawyers than you, even if you're Tommy Lee Jones.
Maybe he'll catch a break like Art Buchwald, but did Art ever see any money?

[jbeach]

Art actually did see money, thankfully. It's a pretty interesting story -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchwald_v._Paramount

Good luck to Tommy Lee Jones, and I hope he also sets a good precedent with his win.