Home Industry News Media company bosses seek dismissal of $400 million Spinal Tap lawsuit
In October (16) Harry Shearer, who played bassist Derek Smalls in the beloved 1984 spoof rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap filed a lawsuit alleging Vivendi bosses had cheated him and the film’s co-creators out of its profits, seeking $125 million (£100 million).
Last month (Feb17) the film’s director Rob Reiner and Harry’s co-stars Christopher Guest and Michael McKean joined the lawsuit, bumping up the amount claimed to $400 million.
Lawyers for the French media conglomerate, who own the rights to the film via their subsidiary StudioCanal, filed court papers on Tuesday (28Feb17), asking a California federal court judge to dismiss the case.