Nevada residents may know Wil Wheaton as the actor who played Wesley Crusher in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation” and himself in several episodes of “The Big Bang Theory”. The 47-year-old is widely respected in the entertainment industry for his professional approach, which apparently extends to taking legal action when he feels he is not being paid as agreed.
Wheaton and his company Media Dynamics filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Aug. 5 against Legendary Geek & Sundry that accuses the digital entertainment firm of breach of contract. Wheaton is seeking damages of at least $100,000 and wants the court to order Legendary to submit to a full accounting audit. At the heart of the lawsuit are lucrative licensing agreements that Legendary has entered into with Hulu, Pluto TV, and Sinclair Broadcasting.
Wheaton says that he agreed to write, executive produce, and host the internet show ‘Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana” in return for a payment of $50,000 and half of the net profits generated by the series. While the agreement gave Legendary the rights to promote and distribute the series, Wheaton claims his contract ensured that he would be consulted about any such deals. The actor claims that Legendary breached that provision when it negotiated licensing deals without consulting him, has not paid him the money he is due from the profits generated by the licensing agreements and refuses to let him see their books.
Civil cases involving contract disputes can be complex and costly to litigate, and attorneys with experience in this area may seek to resolve them amicably whenever possible. When the facts of a case make it clear that a breach of contract likely occurred, attorneys may urge the defendants in these cases to settle at the negotiating table and avoid a protracted lawsuit that they are unlikely to win.
