'Tony Soprano' Sues HBO

[Janice]

TONY SOPRANO WANTS OFFER HE CAN'T REFUSE

NEW YORK (March 8) - Fans of HBO's popular drama "The Sopranos" may have to "fuhgeddabout" another season after James Gandolfini, the actor who plays the family patriarch, filed a lawsuit seeking a release from his contract.

But viewers shouldn't count out "The Sopranos" just yet. A source close to Gandolfini said the actor believes he is underpaid relative to other small-screen stars, and that he would like to return for a fifth season if a deal can be reached.

"This suit is really about Jim (Gandolfini) being paid fair market value, like other stars of network television shows, and he expects it to be settled in a friendly way," the source said.

Gandolfini, a two-time Emmy award winner for his portrayal of conflicted mob boss Tony Soprano, alleged in a suit filed in California that HBO violated a clause in his contract when it failed to notify him of a $20 million deal it struck with David Chase, the show's creator.

"This is nothing more than a further renegotiation tactic by an actor in a binding contract," said HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer.

An end to "The Sopranos," which broke records for a cable show last year by pulling in 13.4 million viewers for its premiere, would be a huge blow to HBO, the subscription cable channel owned by AOL Time Warner .

"The Sopranos" is HBO's most popular show, and it paved the way for a string of HBO hits such as "Six Feet Under" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The show's fifth season was scheduled to begin shooting in April, a spokesman said.

Gandolfini receives about $400,000 an episode under a deal renegotiated after the first season of "The Sopranos," according to Variety, roughly in line with stars like Martin Sheen of NBC's "The West Wing" but far below the $1.6 million per episode paid to Kelsey Grammer for NBC's "Frasier."

Network television shows generate advertising revenue, while commercial-free HBO derives its revenue solely from subscriptions. HBO's business model makes it difficult to calculate exactly how much "The Sopranos" -- and Gandolfini -- are worth.

"Unfortunately there's no way to quantify it," HBO spokesman Schaffer said of the show. "But we know it's valuable."

Several other actors on "The Sopranos," including Michael Imperioli, who plays Christopher Moltisanti; Tony Sirico, who plays Paulie Walnuts; and Jamie Lynn-Sigler, who plays Meadow Soprano, have recently renegotiated their contracts in recent months, according to reports in industry trade publications.

"Gandolfini has always been extremely supportive of his fellow cast members," said a source familiar with the production. "It would seem out of character that he would want to do something to jeopardize a financially rewarding year for his fellow cast."

Gandolfini and "Sopranos" production company Brillstein-Grey were not immediately available for comment."

03/07/03 17:23 ET

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[TJL]

I read this yesterday.
It appears Mr. Gandolfini has HBO in a tough spot.
I'm sure an agreement will be reached soon.
Considering the amount of viewers and money The Sopranos pull to HBO, the stars of that show are pretty underpaid, compared to other prime time casts.

[Janice]

BADA BLING — ROUND TWO

The battle between Sopranos star James Gandolfini and HBO is about to get uglier. According to reports, the cabler is expected to file a countersuit against the actor, claiming he would cost the network $100 million by failing to show up for work on the show's fifth season.
"We are exposing the frivolous nature of [Gandolfini's] claims," says HBO attorney Bert Fields. "If he doesn't show up by March 24, he's going to owe a huge amount of money."
Gandolfini sued HBO last week over a contract technicality. Some say the whole thing is nothing more than a negotiations ploy. And to that, I say: "Duh!"

[dlemond]

I'll go with my gut instinct on this one and say pay Gandolfini.

There is no show without him and he is underpaid.
Almost everyone is expendable but him.

I know you sign a contract and you should honor it, but HBO is not dealing with the entire series in any fair way with the cast or the public.

Besides, HBO has milked all of us for years with their repetitive scheduling which sometimes borders on the maddening.

[seal3k]

jeeez christe pay the man, people subscribe to hbo just for that show

[Brad]

Originally posted by seal3k
jeeez christe pay the man, people subscribe to hbo just for that show

They actually resolved this particular situation months ago.

[seal3k]

lol, sorry i didnt notice the post was old

[Brad]

Originally posted by seal3k
lol, sorry i didnt notice the post was old

No problem.

[EricIdlefan]

The man is already set for life with reruns and syndication deals to him and the whole entire cast and crew!!