Community Corner
Saudi Prince to Ask for Damages Against a Hollywood Producer
Prince Faisal Al Saud appeared unsure how much to ask for during the trial on Monday.
Testifying in trial of his breach-of-contract suit against a Hollywood producer, a Saudi prince today appeared unsure how much in damages to ask for in unpaid commissions.
Prince Faisal Al Saud was repeatedly pressed by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Hollywood Studios International founder and CEO Steven Saxton, to name the amount he wants a Los Angeles Superior Court jury to order the filmmaker to pay him.
Al Saud had said in a pretrial deposition that Saxton is obligated under their contract to turn over 7 percent of the $9 million he claims he raised for Saxton's company. Avenatti asked him at trial today if that meant he wanted more than $600,000 from his client.
"I don't have that amount,'' Al Saud said. "I'm not good at accounting.''
Al Saud said he expected Saxton to deduct the prince's costs for having bodyguards, a personal assistant and other personal expenses from his commissions.
Al Saud sued Saxton in January 2012. Saxton produced the critically acclaimed "The Kids Are All Right'' that starred Annette Benning, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo.
The prince maintains he met Saxton at a social event in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in 2006 and that Saxton called himself "Sir Steven Saxton,'' representing himself a movie producer.
But Al Saud, who was interested in financing and producing movies for the Middle East, later found out that Saxton's experience was mostly in music, and his self-proclaimed title related to his membership in a Catholic faith organization, according to the lawsuit.
In 2008, the two agreed that Al Saud would be president of a newly formed HSI division called The Royal Film Co., the suit states. Al Saud also convinced another Saudi prince to invest $10 million in HSI, the suit states. All but $1 million was turned over to Saxton and HSI, the suit states.
However, the business relationship between Al Saud and Saxton broke down in 2010 without any progress in developing films with Middle Eastern content, the suit states.
Al Saud maintains he is owed commissions on the $9 million he persuaded the second prince to invest in HSI. He also wants the title to a 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo. He alleges he asked Saxton to buy it for $142,000 and pay for with money he was entitled to under their agreement.
Al Saud maintains Saxton is wrongfully withholding the car. But in a countersuit, Saxton alleges he is entitled to the car. as well as more than $25 million in damages, in part because Al Saud convinced the other prince to withhold his planned full investment in HSI.
Saxton's countersuit also states the producer paid Al Saud more than $1 million in commissions.
- City News Service
