02 October 2003 (released in US 10/01/03)
New Zealand's wealthiest and most famous actor, Lucy Lawless, is suing Universal City Studios ? a move that could
substantially boost her fortune.
Lawless, whose role as Xena made her a cult television figure, claims Universal cheated her out of her share of profits from the
show Xena: Warrior Princess, which ran for six series and was broadcast in over 100 countries.
Despite finishing more than two years ago the popularity of Xena lives on.
Hercules star, American actor Kevin Sorbo, has also filed a lawsuit against Universal.
In their suits, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the two claim Universal altered the accounts for both shows to make it
appear they were unprofitable, allowing Universal to take a greater share for itself. The pair seek a review of the accounts as well
as unspecified damages.
Lawless, who is worth $15 million according to the National Business Review Rich List, claims she is entitled to 5 per cent of
adjusted gross receipts from each episode of the show, while Sorbo is claiming 8 per cent.
Lawless, who is in Canada filming her new series Tarzan, where she is playing Tarzan's aunt, could not be reached for comment
last night and her New Zealand agent would not comment.
Auckland entertainment lawyer Karen Soich said there were legal precedents behind Lawless' claim, such as a case involving
American humorist Art Buchwald ? which he won.
Ms Soich said the cost of taking litigation in the US was "horrendously high".
Despite this, the case was worth pursuing, she said, as Xena had run for a long time and there was a lot of additional income to
be earned from such things as the reruns of the show and DVDs.
