After five years, a landmark lawsuit that prompted some Hollywood studios, production companies and networks to change their labor practices regarding unpaid interns is finally close to a settlement … that will net most of the beneficiaries less than a week’s pay.
Upon final approval of U.S. District Judge William Pauley in New York, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Entertainment Group Studios will sign three checks ranging from $3,500 to $7,500 for the lead plaintiffs, with more than 100 other complainants receiving less than $500. The lawyers on the case will bank nearly $220,000.
The settlement follows a litany of rulings and subsequent appeals that began with a lawsuit filed by Alex Footman and Eric Glatt, who worked on the 2010 film “Black Swan,” which netted star Natalie Portman a Best Actress Oscar.