This isn't a matter of not paying commissions, this a matter of figuring out which agency to pay. Nolan and his wife/producer Emma Thomas are seeking legal help as they are caught in the middle of a dispute between their former agency CAA and their current agency WME.
So what happened? Nolan's long-time agent, Dan Aloni, was fired from CAA in February. At that point Aloni went to work at WME, bringing along with him many of his high-profile clients like Christopher Nolan. Things got sticky when
The Dark Knight Rises premiered and the tragic events in Aurora, CO. took place at a midnight screening. During that tragedy Nolan's new agency discussed strategies, which means WME would like to be compensated for those services. With
The Dark Knight Rises raking in $433 million domestically and $574 million at the international box office that could be a big payday for WME.
While CAA disputes WME's claims Nolan and Emma Thomas are suing the two sides as a defensive measure to protect themselves and their company. In the end they are hoping the court system can help them figure out which side to pay the commission(s) to going forward.
Deadline has some additional information:My sources estimate the money at stake from Nolan’s deals between October 2005 and February 2012 (and possibly well into the future on these movies) is 10% commission on a minimum of $250 million. And include Nolan’s involvement with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises as well as Inception and Man of Steel and its hoped-for sequels, and perhaps even projects not yet made public. - Deadline
The Dark Knight Rises is now playing at your local theater. The film stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Tom Hardy as Bane, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate.
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