Kevin Smith Exits Amazon’s Buckaroo Banzai Series In Wake Of Lawsuit
Buckaroo Banzai producer Kevin Smith has left the planned Amazon original series after MGM pursued legal action against the original film’s creators.
The studio’s move took many by surprise even though the complicated situation surrounding the property’s rights has been established for years now. It seems that Smith was among those shocked by the development, as evidenced by his refusal to work on the proposed TV sequel without the involvement of director Walter Richter and screenwriter Earl Mac Rauch:
“This is not what I signed up for,” Smith said in a Facebook video, which you can watch below in full. “I was caught off-guard [by the lawsuit]. I literally had no idea. It blows, man, because that’s the closest I’ve [come] to having my own show so far… This lawsuit comes from MGM legal — it doesn’t come from any of the people I met at MGM… I’m no longer involved. I don’t wish anybody harm; I wish all parties well. I hope these dudes come to an agreement, and if they do and they still want me involved down the road, I’ll be here. But why would they?”
Smith had previously spoken to ComingSoon.net exclusively about his ideas for the show, which involved potential guest directors like Richard Kelly, Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino.
Leave your thoughts on Kevin Smith leaving Buckaroo Banzai following MGM’s decision to file a lawsuit against the makers of the original film (via Superherohype) in the comments section below. Readers seeking more TV show news can visit our TV Show News Google+ Page and our TV Show News Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook. The Buckaroo Banzai TV series is set to stream on Amazon at some point in the near future.