LOS ANGELES (CNS) - One production company sued another today for allegedly violating the terms of their agreement to make a film based on the book ``Miss Brenda and the Loveladies,'' which told the story of a woman's efforts to improve the lives of former inmates.
Wild Horse Entertainment Inc.'s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Rubicon Entertainment LLC alleges breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The suit also seeks a declaration that the parties no longer have any obligations to each other.
A representative for Rubicon Entertainment could not be immediately reached for comment.
``Miss Brenda'' was written by Brenda Spahn and Irene Zutell and tells the story of Spahn and her work to help ex-inmates at the Julie Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Ala. Spahn took 11 former inmates into her home to adapt to the outside world. She is the founder and director of the Lovelady Center, a successful nonprofit transitional center for women.
The book focuses on the lives of the first seven women Spahn helped, who called her ``Miss Brenda.''
Wild Horse and Rubicon entered into an agreement in March 2016 that gave them the joint rights to make the picture, with Wild Horse paying $200,000 and Rubicon $75,000, the suit states.
Rubicon and Wild Horse entered into another accord in May 2017 with Good Universe Films, an affiliate of Summit Entertainment LLC, to produce the picture, according to the complaint.
But Rubicon later became dissatisfied that the person picked as the individual producer began working with a Wild Horse executive on outside projects, the suit states. So, over Wild Horse's objection, Rubicon agreed to terms with Summit Entertainment Inc. that were inconsistent with the Rubicon- Wild Horse pact, the suit states.
Instead of resolving their differences through negotiations, Rubicon used a power of attorney from Wild Horse in order to force Wild Horse's consent to the new agreement with Summit, the suit alleges.
``Summit informed Wild Horse by letter dated Oct. 10 that it considered the Summit agreement to be valid and enforceable based on Rubicon's use of the power of attorney,'' the suit states.