Martin Scorsese accused of taking $500,000 on film he didn’t work on

Martin Scorsese is being sued for $500,000 by a film company that claims he has been stringing them along for the past year.

Op-Fortitude Ltd. have taken the Hollywood director to court over claims that he failed to fulfil his side of the deal after he signed up to be the executive director on a new movie.

According to the UK company, Scorsese and his production firm, Sikelia Productions, agreed in January last year to help put together the cast and crew for a World War II flick.

While the suit doesn't delve too much into the movie in terms of its plot, it explains that it planned on telling the story of a “strategic mission that was pivotal to the course of World War II".

Operation Fortitude was an Allied plan to deceive the German forces ahead of its advances at Normandy.

Mickael Chavet/Project Daybreak/Alamy

And as part of the deal, The Departed director was paid half-a-million dollars up front for his services, according to court documents filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday (15 May).

It's alleged that the production company contacted Scorsese and his representatives - LBI Entertainment LLC - and struck a deal with him.

They claim that Scorsese agreed to become an executive producer on the flick and promised to reach out to “A-list directors and cast members" he thought would be good for it.

However, over a year has passed since the agreement was made, and Op-Fortitude claim that Scorsese has done nothing to help move things along.

During that time, Op Fortitude claims Scorsese's people pledged their support to the project and urged them not to cancel it.

The company says it waited until March this year for any development until it finally decided to pull the plug on the deal.

The production company says: “In the 15 months that have passed since the agreement was signed, Mr. Scorsese has done nothing whatsoever in furtherance of production of the picture, and has been completely non-responsive to Op-Fortitude’s repeated attempts to reach him."

Mickael Chavet/Project Daybreak/Alamy

Adding: “Largely due to defendants’ complete and total failure of their duties under the agreement, Op-Fortitude has still not completed assembling its cast and crew and has not been able to begin the production process in earnest.

"Op-Fortitude has instead been forced to essentially begin from scratch.”

Op-Fortitude is demanding Scorsese return the money he has already taken for working on the movie, as well as seeking damages and legal costs.

The documents state that Scorsese's representatives claim the company is not entitled to any return of payment.

UNILAD has contacted representatives of Martin Scorsese for comment.