LONDON (AP) 鈥 Eva Green said in a British court Monday that she grew disillusioned with a film project because it was becoming a 鈥淏 movie鈥 that could ruin her career.
The French actress for a $1 million fee she says she is owed for 鈥淎 Patriot,鈥 a sci-fi thriller that collapsed in late 2019. Production company White Lantern Film is countersuing, claiming Green made 鈥渆xcessive creative and financial鈥 demands and undermined the production.
Green, who played Vesper Lynd in James Bond thriller 鈥淐asino Royale,鈥 said she 鈥渇ell in love鈥 with the script for 鈥淎 Patriot鈥 and its environmental message, but became increasingly concerned as producers moved production from Ireland to England and cut other corners.
鈥淲hen an actor has appeared in a B movie they are labelled as a B actor, you never get offered quality work ever again,鈥 she said during an evidence session at the High Court in London.
鈥淚 never wanted this to be a B movie but I realized more towards the end that it was going to happen,鈥 she added.
Green, 42, also raised safety concerns, referring to t when a prop gun was discharged on the set of the movie 鈥淩ust.鈥 Actor Alec Baldwin and the film鈥檚 weapons supervisor face involuntary manslaughter charges over the 2021 incident.
Green said executive producer Jake Seal had cut down her stunt training on 鈥淎 Patriot鈥 鈥 in which she was due to play a soldier 鈥 from four weeks to five days, something she claimed was 鈥渆xtremely dangerous.鈥
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 make a quality film by cutting corners,鈥 Green said. 鈥淵ou look at what happened with Alec Baldwin on the movie 鈥楻ust,鈥 the producers were cutting corners, no safety measures and a young woman got killed.鈥
The production company's evidence includes expletive-filled text messages in which Green called one of the film鈥檚 producers 鈥渆vil鈥 and another a 鈥減retentious moron.鈥
Green apologized for 鈥渟ome horrible things鈥 she had said in messages. She said the tone of the messages was 鈥渁n emotional response" because she felt betrayed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my Frenchness coming out sometimes,鈥 she said.
Green denies producers鈥 allegations that she breached her contract, saying she was still prepared to go ahead with filming when the project was scrapped.
The case is due to continue for several days.
