Aspiring screenwriter Simon Afram and producer Edward Kahl have settled their lawsuit with legendary director Martin Scorsese. The lawsuit alleged that Scorsese took $500,000 to help make a World War II movie called Operation: Fortitude but did nothing.
Back in January 2022, Afram and Kahl hired Scorsese to be an executive producer on their movie project. They thought having him involved would attract great actors and a top-notch director. They even planned to start filming in Europe later that year. But things didn’t work out as they hoped.
The lawsuit was then initiated in May 2023, which claimed that working with Scorsese had cost them $500,000 and 15 months of wasted time.
Amateur Filmmakers Accused Martin Scorsese of Taking Money and Doing No Work
Martin Scorsese and his company, Sikelia Productions, were sued for allegedly backing out of a $1 million deal to oversee the making of a World War II movie.
Simon Afram’s UK production company, Op-Fortitude, was set up in 2018 specifically to create this film. The company claimed that Scorsese agreed to take $500,000 upfront to help gather a top-notch cast for the movie Operation: Fortitude.
However, Op-Fortitude alleged that Scorsese didn’t do any work for over a year and refused to give back the money. The movie’s script was written by Afram, who was also set to produce it.
The company claimed that Scorsese broke their contract and other agreements, asking for punitive damages. The complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court reads (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“Mr. Scorsese has done nothing whatsoever in furtherance of production of the Picture, and has been completely non-responsive to Op-Fortitude’s repeated attempts to reach him and secure the fulfillment of his obligations.”
According to the lawsuit filed in May 2023, Scorsese never even met with Afram and Edward Kahl after taking their money. They argued that Scorsese was too busy with other things and his managers kept denying their requests for meetings. After failing to get Scorsese’s help, the two requested a refund of their $500,000 but were unsuccessful.
Martin Scorsese’s Lawyers Counter-Sued the Plaintiffs
The Killers of the Flower Moon‘s director’s attorneys hit back with a cross-complaint, stating that Afram is a novice screenwriter with limited experience in the film industry.
They pointed out that Afram had only written two scripts that hadn’t been turned into movies yet. They also argued that he had been having a tough time getting Operation: Fortitude off the ground for quite a while. Director’s attorneys, led by Marty Singer noted (via Variety):
“This case presents the classic example of the novice filmmaker who refuses to appreciate the stark difference between expectation and reality in the filmmaking business, to the detriment of all involved.”
The 81-year-old’s attorneys further went on to say that the director had looked for other talented directors who could work on the project, but none of them were interested. They noted that making a movie can be a long process, citing Scorsese’s own film, The Irishman, as an example that took 12 years to make. They wrote:
“The expectation of those new to the film industry is that a great idea or script will instantly be transformed into an Academy Award-winning work of art, when the reality is that it can take many years to even attempt to develop a movie.”
Scorsese’s legal team said that it was actually Afram and Kahl who owed the director $500,000 as part of their deal. The lawsuit took nearly a year before both sides agreed to settle last Thursday. But, the exact terms of the settlement are not yet known.
