How much do you think the creators of Spinal Tap have made from sales of music and merchandising over the years? Millions you say? Wrongity wrong. $179!
Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) has filed a lawsuit against Vivendi and its subsidiaries, including Canal Plus, StudioCanal, StudioCanal Image and Universal Music Group, for $125,000,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. The figure of $179 comes from the papers – see below.
6. But according to Vivendi, the four creators’ share of total worldwide merchandising income between 1984 and 2006 was $81 (eighty-one) dollars. Between 1989 and 2006 total income from music sales was $98 (ninety-eight) dollars. Over the past two years, Vivendi has failed to provide accounting statements at all.
DogFacedBoy says
Well that’s just nit picking
minibreakfast says
Boom-tish!
*dies in freak accident*
DogFacedBoy says
Didn’t Iain Faith die from an overdose of royalties? They should look into Sir Dennis Eton-Hogg’s summer camp for pale young boys too
DogFacedBoy says
Considering I have 3 different DVD editions of This Is Spinal Tap, the Blu Ray, a CD Rom edition as well as VHS of the film, The Albert Hall gig from 1992, albums on vinyl and CD, singles and the Tapcyclopedia book I would have hoped some money would have gone to Guest, Mckean, Shearer and Reiner.
In the Criterion edition DVD commentary they mention they have to do ‘something’ as Tap every so often in order to hang on to the rights to be those characters. As there is ‘beef’ between the band currently this lawsuit may have to count as band activity.
Release the hounds!
timtunes says
I got most of those too – plus saw them on the Break Like The Wind tour getting a tour laminate and t-shirt (not very often worn it has to be said) – ooh and cap
The OP mentions music & merch – I can’t access the link but presumably the above doesn’t include residuals from the film?
DogFacedBoy says
I saw them in 2009 at Wembley Arena on their One Night World Tour that they slightly ruined the concept of by playing Glastonbury.
Still I got my shirt with ‘Hello Wimbledon’ on it.
niallb says
The weasel Daily Express, whilst reporting the story, loses the point completely by saying, “Of course, some people may have less sympathy for Shearer who is reportedly worth over £52m and is reported to receive over £230k per Simpsons episode.”
Well that’s alright then. Let’s give the bastards in the entertainment industry who have, since time began, continued to rip off the artist, especially those artists who can afford it.
The fact that Shearer is worth a few quid is exactly why he should go after these people, to deter the others in the cesspool*
*I completely accept that there are some moral and principled people running record and film companies. However, my experience with my own brother is that they are in the minority.
Black Celebration says
I have long been baffled by the mysterious world of royalties. But I believe that when a “risky” film is made, sometimes the actors agree to take a % of any future profit made, rather than being paid up front. The risk being that if the film makes no money, then nothing is earned from it – but at least the film is actually made and paid for, which for a young, unknown and hungry creative type, this is the be-all-and-end-all.
Or…they can settle for a reasonable one-off payment, ensuring they can feed the kids that year but they sign away their entitlement to future royalties. If it grows into a monster – they lose by doing that because they didn’t share in the risk at the outset. We can say “tough shit” but I think a more reasonable contract would allow for a reasonable bonus to be paid back to the people that took the financial risk – but if it goes nuts, success-wise – the writers and actors responsible should not be cheated out of millions once the film goes beyond a reasonable profit.
timtunes says
A contract is a contract so legally they are not being cheated as such- although the studios employ legions to think up ways to ensure that, within the contract, they minimise net profits.
There have been some instances where studios have payed ex-gratia bonuses for unexpected success – but these could be seen as being cynical to win over the goodwill of talent.
metal mickey says
Re. “ex-gratia bonuses for unexpected success”, Alec Guinness used to tell a story about his Star Wars royalties…
Back in 1976, a sci-fi adventure movie was about as far from box-office gold as anyone could imagine, so George Lucas’ brainchild was very much done on the cheap and for favours… however, once they started test-screenings, it became apparent that they might have a decent hit on their hands, so the producer phones Guinness’ agent to tell him, “It looks like this movie might do quite well, after all – tell Alec he can have an extra 1% royalty…”
A few months later, Star Wars is a global phenomenon, and Guinness is in Hollywood meeting with the producers, and he brings up that phone call: “Of course Alec, we have the paperwork right here – a quarter percent, just as we said…”
timtunes says
That doesn’t surprise me…
I once worked with someone who worked in 20th C Fox’s finance department at the time of Star Wars – he said they were completly incredulous as to the money that was rolling in from that film……….