Lionsgate sues insurer for losses after death of ‘Robin Hood’ cast member

Lionsgate is suing the Fireman’s Fund Insurance company for $1.62 million after the death of cast member and a fire that damaged a studio in Hungary during filming of its 2018 movie “Robin Hood.”

The Santa Monica-based studio behind the “Hunger Games” film franchise is seeking damages linked to last year’s $100-million reboot of “Robin Hood,” which starred Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx, which bombed in theaters.

The lawsuit is a rare public falling-out between a Hollywood studio and a major insurance company.

Lionsgate sued the Allianz-owned insurance fund for refusing to reimburse the studio for losses it says are covered by its policy, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The studio declined to comment. The Fireman’s Fund and Allianz were not immediately available for comment.

Lionsgate said that during the course of filming for the movie in early 2017, in locations in Croatia, Hungary and France, it suffered “multiple covered losses,” including the death of an unnamed cast member, as well as damage to camera equipment, props and the set caused by a fire at Hungary-based Korda Studios.

Serious accidents and deaths are rare on big-budget movies, but when they happen they can lead to large payouts for victims and their families. In December, a jury awarded $8.6 million to the family of a stuntman who died during filming of the AMC series “The Walking Dead.”

Lionsgate’s “Robin Hood” movie garnered only $86 million from its theatrical run globally, according to data provider Box Office Mojo.

In its lawsuit, Lionsgate said the amount of the losses was $7.57 million, of which $5.69 million has been paid out to the studio. Fireman’s Fund, which was established in the 1890s and specializes in covering film sets and studios, agreed the losses were covered by the policy, but refused to pay the full amount, Lionsgate said in its complaint.

Fireman’s Fund argued it was able to reduce the payments owed by $1.62 million due to “certain rebate and tax incentive revenue payments to Lionsgate,” linked to Hungary’s film incentive plan, according to the filing.

The lawsuit did not detail who died on the production or what caused the fatality. The 2017 fire at the Korda Studios, which operates one of the biggest soundstages in the world, did not lead to any injuries, according to a local news report at the time.