'Star Wars: Episode VIII' director Rian Johnson is being sued by an ex-agent for breach of contract. Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the upcoming film, may have started a new rumor through a birthday tweet for co-star John Boyega.
According to Cinema Blend, Johnson is being sued for breach of contract by his ex-agent Brian Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss claimed that the filmmaker owed him a 10 percent commission which he did not follow through. The complaint was filed on March 18 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Producer Ram Bergman is also another defendant named in the lawsuit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dreyfuss claimed that Bergman "orchestrated" the business deals limiting Dreyfuss' influence over them. The agent claimed that he represented Johnson in his earlier stints and earned him jobs for several mainstream releases such as the popular crime-drama television series 'Breaking Bad' and the 2012 science-fiction film 'Looper'.
Dreyfuss claimed that he was also responsible for connecting Johnson with Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy over the Star Wars projects. It was reported that Dreyfuss was not only suing for damages but pushing for payment of all of Johnson's commissionable projects including 'Star Wars'. Neither Johnson nor Bergman publicly responded to the lawsuit as of the present.
In the meantime, the 42-year old filmmaker is busy working on the eighth installment in the Lucasfilm-Disney franchise scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 15, 2017. Although no additional details have been provided for the film's official storyline, several rumors have emerged regarding the focus of the latest film.
It was previously speculated that the yet untitled 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' will follow Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker attempting to find a Jedi temple in order to resurrect the Jedi order with Rey as his protégé. The film will also expand on newer characters including John Boyega's Finn, Oscar Isaac's Poe and Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma.
According to Digital Spy, Mark Hamill may have injected a new plot rumor in addition to the emerging speculations through a cryptic birthday message for Boyega. Hamill tweeted, "Happiest of Birthdays to the Finn-tastic @JohnBoyega a swell fella who's just sonsational in #EP8 Hmmm-Typo or spoiler? YOU decide! #Troll".
'Star Wars: Episode VIII' is an upcoming action-adventure and fantasy film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is intended as the eighth installment in the highly popular 'Star Wars' series. It is scheduled to be released on December 15, 2017.
