Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves was a box office smash. It garnered over 300 million worldwide, and that total coming back in 1991-92. The film was expected to be a modest success, but was reliant on names like Costner and Slater…as in Christian Slater. Remember him? I still love the guy. Still waiting for that stamp of restoration… Digressing.
The film also starred somewhat known names at the time: Morgan Freeman. Alan Rickman. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio–do you remember her in Scarface? Sweet mercy… Ultimately, the film wasn’t projected to be a money-raker, so it was backed by independent studio, Morgan Creek Productions. Costner, as well as others, took reduced salary with the opportunity at backend profit participation. Something that Costner had enjoyed until a couple of years ago, which has led him to sue Morgan Creek for an undisclosed amount. According to Costner, the production company has offered poor accounting measures over the past couple of years, and he has seen a drastic drop in the residual profits associated with the film.
According to the defendant, Costner sucked so bad as Robin Hood (speaking in an American accent?) that he should just shut his mouth and take the 40 million that they’ve already paid him, considering himself lucky that people remained interested in the story, regardless of his dialectual ineptitude.
OK. NO! They didn’t say that. I was just saying what you were thinking. And I’m a Costner fan. I am. Genuinely. Loved Hatfields & McCoys! Love it! Costner’s best work. You hear that, Kevin? Your best.
That having been stated, yes, he has scored over 40 million in backend profits over the past 20 years. Not too shabby for a job done 22 years ago.
