Original ‘Gilmore Girls’ Producer Files Lawsuit Against Warner Bros Over Revival

By Staff Writer | Apr 13, 2016 07:13 AM EDT

The original "Gilmore Girls" producer has sued Warner Bros. over a breach of contract, and he's seeking at least 195,000 in damages.

According to the suit filed by "Gilmore Girls" producer Gavin Polone, his deal with WBTV back in 2000 includes $32,500 for each original 60-minute episode produced after 2003 and a particular percentage of the gross revenue of the show.  However, Polone sued WBTV because he claimed he owed compensation with Netflix's "Gilmore Girls" reboot, The Wrap reported which WBTV denied.

"Upon learning that production had begun on the Subsequent Episodes, plaintiff's representative reached out to defendant regarding plaintiff's compensation under the Operative Agreement," the suit claims. "Defendant refuses to compensate plaintiff in any way for the Subsequent Episodes of "Gilmore Girls.""

According to EW, Polone tried to contact WBTV for compensation, but the network denied any payment because they claimed that the four 90-minute episodes were not based on the TV series "Gilmore Girls." WBTV allegedly said that it was not classified as a TV series because it is being produced for Netflix.

"Defendant argues that the Subsequent Episodes do not fall under the terms of the Operative Agreement, making the absurd claim that the Subsequent Episodes are derivative works based on the television series Gilmore Girls. Defendant also appears to erroneously believe the Subsequent Episodes are not considered a 'television series' because they are being produced for Netflix, rather than a traditional broadcast network," the suit reads.

It isn't the first time for the original "Gilmore Girls" producer to file a suit against WBTV and WB. In 2008, Polone sued them over a breach of contract. Polone and his company, Hofflund/ Polone sued WBTV and WB for allegedly denying payment to the producing company a percentage of the modified adjusted gross, Hollywood Reporter reports.

The "Gilmore Girls" revival brings back the original cast of the TV series, including Lauren Graham, Kelly Bishop, Scott Patterson, Melissa McCarthy and Alexis Bledel. "Gilmore Girls" creator/exec producer Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino both worked on writing and directing the four films. WBTV hasn't commented on the suit.

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