John Singleton Sues Vital for $20 Million Over 'Hustle and Flow' Deal

David Livingston/Getty Images Filmmaker John Singleton punished Vital on Wednesday proclaiming the studio reneged around the promise to back two films incorporated inside a 2005 deal for your breakout hit Hustle and Flow. Inside the suit, filed in La Superior Court and acquired with the Hollywood Reporter (make out the print here), Singleton, who produced the Craig Maker-directed drama, states he entertained multiple distribution offers for your film after it opened up to raves within the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He signed a $9 million deal with Vital, he claims, because the studio certain to "put" two abilities as extended their budgets didn't exceed $3.5 million each and also the creating fee wasn't more than 7.five percent. (Singleton also granted the studio rights to Brewer's Black Lizard Moan.) PHOTOS: 'Abduction' Premiere Hustle and Flow made $22 million worldwide and won an Oscar for top song (Moan made about $ten million) but Singleton states Componen later added backed in the "put" agreement with the help of issues that handled to obtain not possible the flicks made. Singleton, whose last film was the Rachelle Lefervre actioner Abduction, and also the Crunk Pictures are searching for no less than $20 million from Vital which is MTV Films division. An Important representative states: "Vital was wanting that John Singleton would produce two more pictures before his agreement with this particular studio brought to 2010, but that did not happen. Rather, he ongoing to direct Abduction for Lionsgate. Vital satisfied its obligations and also the claims have virtually no merit." The suit, filed by Marty Singer and Michael Holtz at Lavely & Singer, alleges causes of action for fraud, rescission, illegal enrichment and breach of contract. Email: MatthewBelloni@thr.com Twitter: @THRMattBelloni Vital Pictures Abduction John Singleton