Ann Carli, the producer of the 2002 film Crossroads, has filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment, alleging unpaid profits from the teen movie starring Britney Spears. The suit, filed in New York Supreme Court, claims Carli originated the concept for the film as a vehicle for Spears and assembled the creative team, including writer Shonda Rhimes and director Tamra Davis.
Carli states she signed a contract entitling her to a $300,000 fixed fee and 10% of net profits from the film. She claims that for over two decades, she received no accounting statements or payments, initially believing the film may not have been profitable. However, after Sony announced a re-release of Crossroads in September 2023 to coincide with Spears' memoir, Carli inquired about her missing statements.
According to the lawsuit, Sony's then-Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, Dan Zucker, acknowledged that Carli's participation had likely been 'inadvertently overlooked' due to multiple mergers and corporate restructurings. When Carli finally received a statement in December 2023, Sony claimed the film—which cost approximately $11 million to make and grossed over $60 million at the box office—had 'net losses' of $49.7 million.
Carli alleges the accounting included 'massive, unexplained charges' that dwarfed revenues to create a fictional loss. She also learned that other participants, including Rhimes, had been paid their profit shares. Rhimes reportedly told Carli she received enough from the film to make a down payment on a home in the Hollywood Hills.
Carli is suing for breach of contract, fraud, and an accounting demand. She claims she is owed at least $12 million in net profits based on box office returns, DVD sales, and a recent Netflix streaming deal, plus interest over 23 years, totalling approximately $36 million in compensatory damages. The Independent has approached Carli's lawyers and Sony for comment.
