Interstellar & Other Films Scored Overseas, Violating Contract

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) filed suit against Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (Warner Bros.), Paramount Pictures Corporation (“Paramount”) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Inc. (“MGM”) for recording the scores to a number of films outside the United States and Canada in breach of AFM’s collective bargaining agreement with the companies.

“This legal action is the first salvo in a series of legal moves we are taking to enforce any violation of our agreements and to protect our jobs and our hard-fought standards of employment,” said AFM International President Ray Hair. “The disregard for the livelihood of professional musicians by these companies has to stop.”

Specifically, the union is complaining about the scoring of four films, Interstellar, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Robocop, and Carrie, all of which were produced by one or more of the studios.

The complaint, filed late last week in Los Angeles, claims the action breaches a 2010 agreement made with Warner Bros, Paramount and MGM requiring theatrical motion pictures produced in the United States or Canada by the three studios to be scored in the United States or Canada.

Interstellar, the 2014 science fiction film directed by Christopher Nolan starring Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine and Anne Hathaway has reportedly earned over $670 million to date, and was scored in Europe by Hans Zimmer.

AFM is seeking breach of contract damages as well as injunctive relief. Read the complaint here.