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Imagine thinking you’ll be able to kick it with Uncle Marty and soon discovering that the director of directors is just too busy to deal with you right now and makes you play outside with the other kids. Well, that’s basically what filmmakers allege in their now-settled lawsuit against Martin Scorsese. Amateur screenwriter Simon Afram, together with producer Edward Kahl, have settled a lawsuit with the director, Variety reported on March 22. The pair alleged Scorsese took a $500,000 fee to help develop a movie — only to do nothing later. The lawsuit, filed in May 2023, accused the director of neglecting to attract an A-list director and cast for the film, Operation: Fortitude, after he was hired in January 2022 for that express purpose. Plaintiffs argued that Scorsese never spoke with them directly nor meet them after being hired, leading them to ask for a refund (which they didn’t get).
In a cross-complaint, attorneys for Scorsese said that the Operation: Fortitude team just didn’t know how to manage expectations. “This case presents the classic example of the novice filmmaker who refuses to appreciate the stark difference between expectation and reality in the filmmaking business, to the detriment of all involved,” wrote Marty Singer, an attorney for Scorsese. Plus Scorsese, then in postproduction for Killers of the Flower Moon, did try to find a director to helm the novices’ project to no avail, the cross-complaint said. The case was settled out of court on March 21 for an undisclosed amount. The Operation: Fortitude filmmakers might be hurt for reasons beyond the film failing to get off the ground. Imagine not being able to meet up with Scorsese even after you employed him on your film. Tough luck.