According to the man who wrote the bestselling book on which the popular 2009 movie The Blind Side was based, Michael Oher had the opportunity to receive royalties from the film… and chose not to do so?!
Of course, we’ve been covering the shocking case of the former NFL lineman’s lawsuit against estranged adoptive parents-slash-conservators Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. While the hit film starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw may have captivated audiences in theaters well over a decade ago, the real story behind the scenes was more legally sketchy — and has become far more contentious of late.
Related: Michael Oher KNEW The Tuohys Were His Conservators More Than A Decade Ago?!
In his newly filed lawsuit, Oher claims the Tuohys executed a conservatorship over him to control his financial future rather than a simple legal adoption. One of the central claims of the former Baltimore Ravens star’s filing is that Sean and Leigh Anne made millions off Oher — including big bucks on movie royalties.
But that may not be the case?! Michael Lewis, who wrote the 2006 bestselling book which inspired the movie that followed, spoke with the Washington Post on Thursday about the lawsuit. According to Lewis, NOBODY involved with the book saw anywhere close to millions of dollars from the movie adaptation!
Per the WaPo, Lewis claims the company then known as Twentieth Century Fox first paid $250,000 to option the author’s book after it came out in 2006. Lewis and the Tuohy family split that money right down the middle — and the Tuohys have since asserted they split their $125,000 share with Oher. Fox never made the movie, though. Lewis claimed to the news outlet this week that execs there had wanted Julia Roberts to star in the film, but she passed.
Instead a small production company called Alcon picked up the rights. Alcon is helmed by the CEO of FedEx — a man named Fred Smith. According to Lewis, Smith also happens to be the Tuohy fam’s neighbor in a ritzy area of Memphis. That’s quite an interesting connection…
Anyways, Alcon didn’t have big bucks to shell out on royalties and payments up front. So, they offered those involved in the film, including actors, a share of the movie’s profits. Lewis said he, too, was guaranteed to get a share of the film’s “net profits” after it was filmed, released, and distributed by Warner Bros.
Of course, the film was a huge hit. It grossed about $309 million globally, per Box Office Mojo — but who knows, it could be more with studio math being what it is. Lewis himself asserted to the WaPo that The Blind Side brought in “half a billion dollars.” Whatever the exact number, it had a TON of zeroes behind it. And those were allegedly zeroes that Lewis, the Tuohys, and Oher never saw.
According to Lewis, when the royalty checks failed to materialize after the movie’s release, he called his reps at Creative Artists Agency to figure out what was going on. Ultimately, the author did get a small share of the profits. He claims both he and the Tuohy family received “around $350,000” each from the film’s windfall. That’s actually a solid amount of money — studios are notorious for making profits disappear and not paying folks their share, particularly those without any power in Hollywood.
Related: Sandra Bullock ‘Heartbroken’ Over The Blind Side Scandal & Calls To Revoke Her Oscar!
Anyway, Lewis claimed the Tuohys split their $350,000 evenly between family members — including Oher. But when it came time to dole out the money, Oher allegedly declined his royalty checks?! Lewis told the news outlet he thinks the Tuohys deposited Oher’s unwanted check into a trust fund for his son. But why would he decline the checks in the first place?! Especially if he’s seeking compensation now?
Regardless of Oher’s motives, Lewis is pissed AF at what he considers to be shady accounting practices in the film industry. He slammed the entertainment biz in his talk with the newspaper outlet, saying:
“Everybody should be mad at the Hollywood studio system. Michael Oher should join the writers strike. It’s outrageous how Hollywood accounting works, but the money is not in the Tuohys’ pockets.”
Well, he ain’t wrong about that! LOLz! Supposedly Back To The Future and Men In Black still haven’t turned a profit if you believe the studios!
Innerestingly, Lewis also claims Oher came to him “two years ago” asking about the possibility of doing a speaking tour to discuss the book. The Moneyball author in turn raised the question to his agent, but “nothing came of it,” per the WaPo‘s Thursday morning report.
Related: Quinton Aaron SLAMS Critics Calling To Revoke Sandra Bullock’s Oscar!
It sounds like Lewis is seriously flabbergasted about the whole situation, and how it has now blown up into a lawsuit. Sadly, he concluded:
“What I feel really sad about is I watched the whole thing up close. They showered him with resources and love. That he’s suspicious of them is breathtaking. The state of mind one has to be in to do that — I feel sad for him.”
Oof.
Sounds like he’s definitely on the Tuohys’ side here. But does that mean HE’S the blind one?
What do U make of all this royalty talk, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF with your take down in the comments (below)…
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