Chuck Norris filed a $30 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS and Sony Pictures Tuesday of Walker, Texas Ranger.
Norris’ Top Kick Productions claims CBS failed to pay the 77-year-old action star 23 percent of all profits earned from Walker, Texas Ranger since CBS became its primary distributor.
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“Instead, CBS and Sony materially breached the contractual duties they owed to Mr. Norris and his company Top Kick,” the lawsuit reads, reports Deadline. “Specifically, the Defendants have consciously sought to market, sell and distribute Walker in ways that are designed to collect significant fees and revenues from the ongoing exploitation of Walker but without having to honor or pay Top Kick, and to instead materially breach the 23 Percent Profit Clause.”
Top Kick claims CBS was “fully aware” of Norris’ “success, history, brand and image, which resulted in CBS agreeing to become the primary distributor of Walker.“
According to the lawsuit (found here), CBS and Sony have “concealed information about their efforts to exploit” the series on video on-demand services, so Top Kick “does not know how much revenue” Walker, Texas Ranger has earned through the platform. Top Kick alleges that CBS did not include the VOD revenue in statements sent to Top Kick from 2004 to the present.
Norris’ company also accuses CBS of not taking full advantage of Walker‘s popularity. The company “dragged its feet” when The Bradford Exchange wished to make Walker-inspired memorabilia, Norris claims. CBS and Sony also “largely ignored” opportunities to syndicate Walker on third-party networks, only engaging in “self-dealing transactions to benefit only themselves.”
Norris suggests in the lawsuit that Sony wants to hold back Walker for its own getTV network, which airs its vast library of classic films and television shows. According to the lawsuit, Sony knows Walker “will easily be the most popular show on getTV.”
Walker, Texas Ranger starred Chuck Norris as Cordell Walker, a Texas Ranger. The cast also included Clarence Gilyard Jr., Sheree J. Wilson and Noble Willimgham. The series ran nine seasons from 1993 to 2001. Norris also starred in 2005’s made-for-TV movie Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire, and appeared as Walker in Sons of Thunder and Martial Law.
Walker and his wife, Gena, are also suing a pharmaceutical company after she developed Gadolinium Deposition Disease following an MRI.
Photo credit: Facebook/ Chuck Norris
