Warren Beatty and Dick Tracy have unfamiliar roles in the bankruptcy of Tribune Co.
The broadcaster and newspaper company has filed a summons for Beatty, who played the tough Chicago cop in the 1990 film based on the comic strip. Tribune says Beatty wrongly claims film and television rights to Tracy, denying the company of an income stream that could be worth "tens of millions of dollars."
Beatty had the film and television rights to Tracy following the movie's release. However, Tribune says the actor-director has now lost those rights because he did not make a follow-up within a prescribed period.
Beatty's long-time counsel is legendary Hollywood lawyer Bert Fields, whose clientele includes Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, the Weinstein Co., Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.
A pretrial conference for the dispute is set for April 30 at the Wilmington, Dela., bankruptcy court. -
Chris Nolter
Continue reading below
