Page 36 - RICHERT VS. SORKIN THEFT OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND THE WEST WING

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The production and performances are terrific, and this is a movie people should see. It would sadden me to cast a shadow on my own work, and the work of so many talented artists both in front of and behind the camera. Ms. Bening's performance is all I could have hoped for.
Need I remind you, Alan, that a literary work of any kind, including screenplays, is an "Intellectual Property" and not a used car. The true author is eternally thus.
As a fihnmaker,I would never want to stop the roll of a hit. Therefore I propose the following:
1. In order to prevent me from resorting to legal action, Sorkin must admit that he read
my screenplay or heard it in some form from Redford. This will set the record straight, and will
automatically restore the WGA arbitration process.
2. Compensate me for my work. A total of five million dollars was paid to various production
Sincerely, 'l
-- l--> n tl
-lsu/ Bill Richert
personnel and several prominent CAA re - writers involved in "The President Elopes"
development. Kyle Morris (my co - writer on one version) and I were not compensated.
3. My credit should appear on all new prints and ads.
4. Castle Rock and Wildwood must finance an independent investigation into the
WGA Arbitration board in this case, to help insure that this type of travesty isn't repeated.
When a movie is surrounded by lies, careers are hurt. Many of the writers involved in this credit arbitration had already been paid (from the $5 million) and had signed off for any credit at all.. No one informed me. When I requested information about Sorkin's "proof' he had already written a neiu- duplicate of my screenplay, I was told that all other writer's deals were secret. When I asked about what earlier scripts Sorkin's presented, I learned that Sorkin presented just one, called a second draft" dated 1994. I pointed out that I had written the same damn story in 1980, and was reprimanded for speaking too loudly.
The deliberations of the WGA on credits is too important to be done in secret. Many highly regarded indusry players are behind me in wondering why the WGA broke its own laws to award Sorkin sole credit on such non-evidence, and why Castle Rock would be involved in this sordid affair.
If I don't hear from you or Castle Rock, I will assume that you want to fight this to the very end. If so, I'll meet you there to take my rightful due, as I am ready to take it now. We're presently gathering statements from several concerned parties.
Please don't pervert this offer by dismissing it as some kind of veiled threat. It is a direct threat of as much action as I can muster against a vile and unconscionable act --- unforgivable in any artist worthy of the name, or company committed to ethical behavior. If you discover any person within your organization or Wildwood who knew of this but said nothing, you should fue them on the spot.
We can work this out, as long as the truth is dealt with openly. It seerns to me we were all studying a little Zen back in the eighties. Well, old boy, you're about to hear the sound of one hand clapping.
Michael Ovitz Ron Bass VincentCanby David Evans, Esq.
(310) 4s6 - 3251
PS: I know it's a long letter, but it's still one hundred pages shorter than a lawsuit.
cc: Aaron Sorkin Tom Pollock
Sally Burmester Alex Ben Block
Rob Reiner GanzlMandel Andy Howard Leonard Klady
Robert Redford
Lisa Henson
Chris Banett Michael Zweig, Esq.
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