Masand's Gossip of the Week - Best friends no more

Best friends no more

They were once best friends, brothers in arms, but like so many film industry friendships, they fell out when money got in the way. After collaborating on three successful films, this pair"a director and a producer"ended their friendship and professional partnership rather abruptly, reportedly because the director believed he was being shortchanged by his buddy. Notoriously arrogant, the director apparently decided that he deserved a sizeable chunk of the profits that his films were generating for his producer friend, and was no longer willing to settle for an upfront directing fee alone. His pal, on the other hand, was apparently happy to increase his directing salary, but was unwilling to part with a percentage of the profits. And that's when battle lines were drawn.

While the director had no problem finding an eager producer happy to fund his next film, the producer had no shortage of directors whose projects needed investment either. For his own passion project, the producer signed his buddy's ex-girlfriend as leading lady, and word in the industry is that this move was intended purely to piss off the director. Now the producer has announced the latest instalment of a movie franchise that his former director friend had kicked off. Only, he's hired the writers of the earlier films "without involving his buddy in any way"to helm the new project.

But the director has his own problems to contend with. The first film he did not direct for his producer pal tanked. The second has been anointed one of the worst movies to come out of the industry. The most crippling blow, however, seems to be the fact that he's finding it hard to woo A-list stars. His producer pal, however, continues to rope in some of the biggest names.

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/to-be-pronounced-bride-and-groom