“The Walking Dead” debuted on AMC in 2010, instantly becoming a massive hit. For almost as long, the cable network has been fighting in court with the show’s creators over how much of the profits it has to share.
Much like the main show itself (which ended in 2022), the original lawsuit is over — but the spinoff litigation is still going strong.
On Monday, a federal judge denied AMC’s motion to throw out a suit brought by five of the show’s executive producers. The producers — Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Glen Mazzara and Charles Eglee — allege that they were improperly denied their profit participation from the original show and from “Fear the Walking Dead,” the first of six “Walking Dead” spinoffs.
The producers first sued in 2017, several years after “Walking Dead” creator Frank Darabont brought his own profits lawsuit. Darabont, who was fired following the show’s first season, after sending a barrage of expletive laden emails, won a whopping $200 million settlement in 2021.
But after years in court, AMC largely prevailed against the five producers. In a ruling in 2022, a Los Angeles judge found that their contract was standard and they were not entitled to more money.
The producers filed a new lawsuit in November 2022, arguing that the Darabont settlement triggered the “most favored nation” clause in their contracts. Since Darabont was getting a better definition of “modified adjusted gross receipts” under the settlement, the producers argued they were entitled to the same treatment. They argued that they were owed at least $200 million between them.
AMC filed a motion to throw out the lawsuit. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha denied the motion.
“The court finds Plaintiffs allege sufficient facts to plead they are entitled to the more favorable MAGR computation and definition Defendants provided to Darabont and CAA, pursuant to the MFN provisions of their agreements,” the judge wrote.
AMC has previously accused the producers of engaging in a “money grab.” In a statement on Tuesday, AMC’s attorney, Orin Snyder, said the network will keep fighting.
“These plaintiffs have been in the business of suing AMC since 2017 to rewrite their contracts and extract money they are not owed,” Snyder said. “This is just another round in their litigation crusade. We are confident these claims will also fail.”
Sheldon Eisenberg, who represents the producers, said the ruling recognizes the seriousness of the lawsuit. He added that the producers have appealed the 2022 ruling that threw out most of their original claims, and are awaiting the outcome.
News
The Walking Dead Reveals the CRM Is Even More Terrifying Than We Imagined!
Little by little The Walking Dead franchise continues to uncover more details about its mysterious Civic Republic Military, but the latest reveal on The Walking Dead: World Beyond proves they are capable of even greater evil than previously anticipated. The CRM was first introduced in season…
The Walking Dead: Finale Stars Tease That Rick & Michonne Might Be Bad for the World in ‘The Ones Who Live’!
to a feel-good ending with big implications for the future. Brandt and O’Quinn discuss their characters’ changed mindsets, deaths, and the ethical dilemmas posed by Rick and Michonne’s actions. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live finale ended in a way…
‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Feels Like Torture for ‘The Walking Dead’ Completists—Is It Worth Sticking Around?
There aren’t many of us left, but there are a few poor souls who have endured the torturous journey of 11 agonizing seasons of The Walking Dead, suffering through two miserable seasons of The Walking Dead: The World Beyond, enduring one inexplicable…
The Walking Dead: Is the Commonwealth Really Evil? Here’s What the Comics Reveal!
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 5, “Out of the Ashes,” which aired Sunday on AMC. The tail end of The Walking Dead Season 10 showed the culmination of the Whisperer War while also sending Eugene, Ezekiel…
The Walking Dead: 5 Characters Who Were Better on TV (And 5 Who Were Worse!)
Even some of the actors aren’t happy with how their characters were changed… AMC Adapting a comic book into a TV series is never going to be an easy task, but making changes from the source material is sometimes necessary…
Fear the Walking Dead’s Most Disastrous Couple Keeps Spiraling—How Much Worse Can It Get?
The following contains spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead Season 7, Episode 13, “The Raft,” which aired Sunday, May 15 on AMC. Fear the Walking Dead‘s Dwight and Sherry are on the rocks once again, but the show’s solution to their doomed…
End of content
No more pages to load