Kevin Costner Takes Chinese Financier to Court Over ‘Shanghai Sojourners’ Ousting
Kevin Costner filed suit on Tuesday against Kylin Pictures, accusing the Chinese financier of firing him from the film “Shanghai Sojourners” in breach of their contract.
Costner signed on in April to produce the film, a historical romance set amid the Japanese occupation of China. Costner and his production company, Treehouse Films, hired a writer to rewrite the screenplay. Costner himself then rewrote the draft, and had completed 104 pages when he was told to stop working, according to the suit.
Kylin Pictures told Costner that he was no longer wanted on the project on Aug. 29, according to the suit. Costner had been promised $3 million to produce the film. Treehouse Films was promised another $1 million. Costner received only $150,000.
Though Kylin had used Costner’s name to promote the film at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June, Costner alleges that the company had already decided to fire him.
Kylin did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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