"Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan and his wife filed a lawsuit Thursday against his current agency WME and CAA, which previously represented him, as the two heavyweight firms battle over millions of dollars in commissions from his work.
Nolan and his producing partner and wife Emma Thomas Nolan said in the filing that WME staked claims to profits Nolan earned from films when he was represented by CAA, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap.
CAA refused to back down, claiming it is owed money for the same projects.
Now, the Nolans want a court to decide which agency is entitled to the money so that they aren't stuck in the middle of an agency tug of war.
"Plaintiffs are in possession of money which they have received from work performed on certain motion picture projects and for which they acknowledge should be paid out as agency commissions to WME and/or CAA," the court documents said.
Nolan alone is worth millions in commissions, from his Batman films, when he was represented by CAA, to the upcoming "Man of Steel," which he is producing.
Nolan signed to WME earlier this year following his longtime agent Dan Aloni to the agency after he was fired from CAA.
Both CAA and WME declined to comment on the suit, and it remains unclear who will be handling the legal proceedings for either agency. Freedman & Taitelman filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of the Nolans and Syncopy, their production company.
Nolan's decision to file suit against his current agency and his former agency is unusual to say the least, as agents and clients shift agencies often without sparking legal disputes.
Still, it could presage future legal battles if the two agencies fight over commissions from Aloni's other clients. Among the other actors and directors that joined Aloni at WME are Jim Carrey, Michel Gondry, Tom Shadyac, Jay Roach and Mike Myers.
Here are the court documents from the Nolan lawsuit.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
