Comedian Harry Shearer is suing a French film company over tens of millions in dollars in profits he says he is owed from the film “This Is Spinal Tap.”
Shearer’s lawsuit filed in a federal court in Los Angeles on Monday claims that the French company Vivendi S.A. and its subsidiary StudioCanal have withheld profits from the film, its music and its merchandise.
Shearer co-created the satire about a British rock band on the decline, which has been featured on numerous top movie lists of all time since its release. The suit says “This Is Spinal Tap” was made for $2.25 million.
Harry Shearer performs during the Christmas Without Tears New York Concert at BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building on December 1, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City (Getty Images)
Vivendi declined comment on the lawsuit.
Shearer released a two-minute video on Twitter announcing the lawsuit, urging people to share it with the hashtag #fairness rocks.