A legal battle has erupted in Hollywood as a lawsuit has been filed against the sons of baseball legend Roberto Clemente. The lawsuit alleges that Luis R. Clemente and Roberto Clemente Jr. defrauded an indie production company, Inside the Park, by selling it the rights to a biopic of their father, despite Legendary Pictures already having optioned the film.
Inside the Park claims that it developed the movie for over two years, only to discover that the project was intended to “generate renewed interest and publicity” in the hall-of-famer for another project. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses the Clemente family of conspiring with rights clearance house CMG to conceal information that Teton Ridge, a company owned by former Legendary chief executive Thomas Tull, may have rights to the movie.
The lawsuit alleges that the Clemente family misled Inside the Park into believing that Legendary had lost the rights to the film due to a missed payment, when in fact, Legendary was the true owner of the rights. The deal eventually fell apart, with the Clemente family returning money to Inside the Park and tensions escalating between the parties.
Inside the Park is seeking at least $5 million in damages and a court order clarifying the ownership of the rights. The lawsuit includes claims for breach of contract, fraud, specific performance, and declaratory relief. The production company alleges that it was fraudulently induced into purchasing the exclusive option to the film in order to generate interest and publicity in the Roberto Clemente story and brand.