Gerard Butler's Infamous Olympus Has Fallen Profit Lawsuit & Settlement Explained
It's not every day that a movie star sues the production company behind one of their biggest hits, yet that's exactly what happened with "Olympus Has Fallen."
In 2021, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Gerard Butler, one of the great modern action stars, had filed a lawsuit against production company Millennium Media, formerly Nu Image. In his contract for "Olympus Has Fallen," the actor was owed 10% of the film's net profits. However, over a decade and two sequels later, Butler alleged that he had yet to see a cent from the movie that spawned the "Has Fallen" franchise. "Olympus Has Fallen" made over $170 million at the box office, and Butler's lawsuit argued that Millennium owed him at least $10 million for starring in and producing the film.
After two years, in a follow-up story from The Hollywood Reporter, Butler and Millennium settled out of court, but details of the agreement were not disclosed to the public.
How does the lawsuit affect the Has Fallen franchise?
Naturally, the star of "Olympus Has Fallen" and its sequels suing the production company for all three movies doesn't bode well for the action-movie-turned-franchise. However, it seems Gerard Butler and Millennium Media still have big plans for "Has Fallen" in store.
Before the lawsuit, Variety reported that "Night Has Fallen" was in the works, with Butler reprising his role as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning. In 2023, after three years with no updates, producer Les Weldon told Collider the fourth film could kick off a new trilogy. "Ooh, again, another three unless the next one does... you know," Weldon said. "It's the same as 'Expendables.' We need to do the next one, and if that works as well as the previous three, then anything is on the table, really."
Although Weldon's comments sound promising, they haven't cleared up much confusion surrounding "Night Has Fallen." Given recent Hollywood strikes, the lawsuit, and the general lack of updates, the franchise's big-screen future still doesn't look too bright. However, even then, Butler and Millennium seem committed to the franchise's future, as both return as producers for the upcoming TV series "Paris Has Fallen." The actor won't lead the project, but Deadline has heard Butler could have a cameo in the show. So, while the "Olympus Has Fallen" lawsuit was a stain on the series, it seemingly hasn't affected either party's commitment to the "Has Fallen" franchise.