Eva Green could make a B-movie without ending career, her agent tells court

Casino Royale actress Ms Green was due to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot.

Eva Green (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Actress Eva Green “could make a B-movie” without ending her career, her long-time agent has told the High Court in a legal battle over the collapse of a multimillion-pound sci-fi movie.

Casino Royale actress Ms Green was due to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production was abandoned in October 2019.

The 42-year-old is now suing production company White Lantern Film, claiming she is entitled to her million-dollar (£810,000) fee for the project despite its cancellation.

White Lantern Film is bringing a counterclaim against the French actress, alleging she undermined the independent film’s production, made “excessive creative and financial demands” and had expectations “incompatible” with the movie’s budget.

Lawyers for the company and lender SMC Speciality Finance have also claimed Ms Green “fraudulently” claimed to be ready and willing to make the film when she had no intention to do so.

During her evidence on Monday, Max Mallin KC, for the production company, discussed a text message from Ms Green suggesting that the film under executive producer Jake Seal would be a “B-shitty-movie”.

Ms Green told the court: “When an actor has appeared in a B-movie they are labelled as a B-actor, you never get offered quality work ever again.”

She added that appearing in such a film “could kill my career”.

But on Friday, Charles Collier, who has been Ms Green’s agent for 17 years, told the High Court that the former Bond girl was “wrong”.

He said: “I heard Eva say a B-movie could be the end of her career. She’s wrong about that… She could make a B-movie.”

Mr Collier, a former media lawyer, said that Ms Green had never breached a contract or failed to report for a day’s work in nearly two decades.

“Eva, for all her dear sweet passion and love for this film… she never breached,” Mr Collier later said.

He continued: “If she has to do a B-movie, she has to do a B-movie. That’s her contract. If she has to do it, she has to do it.”

Mr Collier added: “A B-movie would not be the end of her career, but breaching her contract and not turning up for work?.. The show must go on.”

During Friday’s hearing, Mr Mallin suggested that Mr Collier had “begged” Ms Green to work on a film with Dame Judi Dench and an experienced crew, rather than work on A Patriot.

Mr Collier replied: “I certainly recall that I had advised her to do another film rather than this one.

“There were times where I felt so deeply concerned about the mess of this production… I had real grave concerns that they could not make this film happen.”

The agent said he “advised her to walk away” when Ms Green legally had the opportunity.

However, Mr Collier later said that Ms Green had kept wanting to make A Patriot, telling the court: “Each time she had been given a safe exit route she had not taken it due to her love for the film.”

The trial is due to finish on February 10, with a decision expected in writing at a later date.