Martin Scorsese has resolved a lawsuit from a hopeful U.K. screenwriter who alleged that the director of “Killers of the Flower Moon” accepted $500,000 to assist in the creation of a World War II film, but did not contribute any work to the project. The terms of the resolution remained undisclosed.
Simon Afram penned the script “Operation: Fortitude,” which depicted the Allied forces’ deceptive strategies against the Germans before the invasion of Normandy.
In January 2022, Scorsese joined the project as an executive producer, with Afram and producer Edward Kahl anticipating that Scorsese’s involvement would lure top talent for the project, both in front of and behind the camera. The pair also aimed to begin production later that year in Europe under the project’s production banner, Op-Fortitude.
“Although more than 15 months have elapsed since the contract was signed, Scorsese has not taken any steps to advance the production of the movie and has not been responsive to Op-Fortitude, leaving Op-Fortitude with no choice but to pursue its breach of contract, rescission, and conversion claims in court. Op-Fortitude is seeking the return of the $500,000 initial payment as well as punitive damages,” the plaintiffs previously stated in the initial complaint from 2023.
According to Scorsese’s cross-complaint, Scorsese had contacted several filmmakers who he deemed appropriate for the “Operation: Fortitude” project — however, none of the directors expressed interest in taking it on.
Scorsese’s counter-argument also indicated that the plaintiffs did not grasp the norms of the film industry. His legal team emphasized that even “The Irishman” took more than a decade to develop and produce.
“For those new to the film industry, there is often an unrealistic expectation that a great idea or script will instantly turn into an Academy Award-winning masterpiece,” Scorsese’s legal team expressed in the filing.
On Thursday, the plaintiffs lodged a notice that the entire case has been resolved. No further details were disclosed.
Afram’s sole prior credit was as an executive producer on the 2011 Jessica Chastain and Al Pacino docudrama, “Wilde Salomé.” Pacino wrote and directed the film, based on the play “Salomé” by Oscar Wilde.
