Paramount, MGM sued for not paying 'Ben-Hur' musicians

Los Angeles [USA], Apr. 12 (ANI): It seems like all is not well for MGM and Paramount. American federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has filed a lawsuit against both the studios, claiming that they have failed to pay the musicians, who recorded the score for 2016s 'Ben-Hur,' according to The Hollywood Reporter. The court papers state that composer Marco Beltrami was responsible for hiring instrumental musicians, arrangers, orchestrators, conductors and others in order to deliver the score and furnish a master recording of 'Ben-Hur' . The score for the original 1959 movie was by Hungarian composer Miklos Rozsa and is considered a classic. According to film credits, music for the 2016 film was composed by Marco Beltrami. The complaint do not just assert a violation of the collective bargaining agreement over payments, but also for an alleged failure to "fulfill reporting and studio access obligations." AFM alleges that it was not given a pass to the studio during working hours, and that MGM and Paramount have refused to provide a "B Form report," which typically indicates the hours and services rendered by each musician, wages and applicable contributions to pension and health benefit funds. The filed complaint reads, "MGM and Paramount have failed and refused either to cause BH Productions LLC or the composer to comply with the compensation provisions of the Agreement, including those requiring the payment of wages, contributions to pension and health benefit funds, and residual revenue contributions to the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund, to or on behalf of the musicians employed in the scoring of BEN HUR, or in the alternative, to make such payments." According to AFM, their collective bargaining agreement with the producers will expire in April 2018. (ANI)