News of March 18, 2009
Amaru Sues Morgan Creek for Ten Million Dollars
The countersuit over the Tupac biopic: In March 2009, Afeni Shakur's company Amaru sought ten million dollars in damages from Morgan Creek.
One month after Morgan Creek filed a lawsuit, Amaru Entertainment struck back. As rap.de reported on March 18, 2009, Afeni Shakur’s company demanded ten million dollars in damages from the film company in a Los Angeles court.
The Accusation: Sabotage
Amaru accused Morgan Creek head James Robinson of sabotaging the film project after talks between the two sides collapsed. Through the dispute over the rights, Morgan Creek had allegedly scared off other studios like Paramount and made it difficult to release the film elsewhere. A spokesperson for Amaru announced that the countersuit would cost Morgan Creek dearly.
The opposing side stood by its account: According to its lawyers, a finalized contract had been in place in December 2008, which Amaru allegedly caused to fall through. Afeni Shakur denied this. A contract had never existed, only oral agreements at most.
While both sides were suing each other, Notorious, the film about Biggie, was playing in US theaters with great success. In the fall of 2009, a court allowed the dispute to head toward a jury trial.