The New York Daily News today reported that AMC had denied all allegations of accounting fraud and nonpayment to Frank Darabont, the former showrunner of its megahit television series "The Walking Dead." The 54 year-old writer and director is credited for adapting Robert Kirkman's comic book series into a television show format.
"The Walking Dead," which stars Andrew Lincoln and Shane Walsh, revolves around a zombie apocalypse and the struggles of the remaining survivors at a small town. For its February 9 midseason premiere, the show has garnered 15.8 million viewers.
Darabont has filed a lawsuit against the cable channel with the Manhattan Supreme Court. Darabont reportedly accused AMC executives of bilking him and his agents of licensing fees allegedly worth tens of millions of dollars. In his lawsuit, Darabont claimed that the cable channel did not live up to its promise to pay an amount comparable to what the company would have paid for the show to a third-party production company.
Moreover, Darabont also claimed that AMC improperly deducted its profits on paper by not including tax credits worth tens of millions of dollars it has reportedly received. NY Daily News said Darabont insisted that he and Creative Artists Agency, his management firm, has yet to receive a single cent for what AMC reportedly owed him due to the cable channel's accounting tactics.
Midway through the second season of the television series, Darabont was reportedly fired by AMC and cited budget clashes as the result of the termination.
AMC's legal team said in a 68-page filing in response to Darabont's claims of fraud and nonpayment, "Defendants deny that Plaintiffs are entitled to any relief, whether monetary, compensatory, declarative, equitable, costs, and/or fees relating to this matter, or in any other form sought by Plaintiffs."
NY Daily News said that AMC is pushing for a complete dismissal of Darabont's lawsuit.
