by Actress Eva Green “could make a B movie” without ending her career, her former agent told the High Court in a legal battle over the collapse of a multibillion-dollar sci-fi movie.
Casino Royale actress Ms. Green was set to play the lead in the dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production was dropped in October 2019.
The 42-year-old is now suing production company White Lantern Film, claiming she is entitled to her million-dollar (£810,000) fee for the project despite its cancellation.
White Lantern Film filed a countersuit against the French actress, alleging that she undermined the production of the independent film, made “excessive creative and financial demands” and had expectations “incompatible” with the film’s budget.
Lawyers for the company and lender SMC Specialty Finance have also claimed that Ms Green “fraudulently” claimed to be ready and willing to make the film when she had no intention of doing so.
During his testimony on Monday, the production company’s Max Mallin KC disputed a text message from Ms Green suggesting that the film under the direction of executive producer Jake Seal would be a “shitty B movie.”
Ms Green told the court: “When an actor appears in a B movie, they are labeled a B actor, you are never offered quality work again.”
He added that appearing in such a film “could kill my career”.
But on Friday, Charles Collier, who has been Ms Green’s agent for 17 years, told the High Court that the former Bond girl was “wrong”.
He said: “I heard Eva say that a B movie could be the end of her career. She’s wrong about that… She could make a B-movie.”
Collier, a former media attorney, said Green had never breached a contract or failed to show up for work a day in nearly two decades.
“Eva, for all her darling sweet passion and love for this movie…she never broke down,” Collier said later.
He continued, “If you have to do a B movie, you have to do a B movie. That’s your contract. If you have to do it, you have to do it.”
Collier added: “A B movie wouldn’t be the end of his career, but breaking his contract and not showing up for work?… The show must go on.”
During Friday’s hearing, Mallin suggested that Collier had “begged” Green to work on a film with Dame Judi Dench and an experienced crew, instead of working on A Patriot.
Collier responded: “I certainly remember advising him to do another movie instead of this one.
“There were times where I felt so deeply concerned about the mess of this production… I had very serious concerns that they couldn’t make this movie happen.”
The agent said he “advised her to walk away” when Green had a legal opportunity.
However, Collier later said that Green had continued to want to do A Patriot, telling the court, “Every time he had been given a safe exit route, he had not taken it because of his love of the film.”
The trial is due to end on February 10 and a written decision is expected at a later date.
