Richard Dreyfuss sues Walt Disney Pictures over What About Bob profits

Richard Dreyfuss has sued Walt Disney Pictures over his slice of profits made from the 1991 movie What About Bob?.

The case also involves Christine Wagner, whose late husband produced Tom Hanks’ 1989 movie Turner and Hooch.

Both parties have said Disney has refused demands to allow their chosen auditors access to its financial records.

The legal papers have criticized film studio accounting practices in general.

Papers filed by Richard Dreyfuss and Christine Wagner’s lawyer Neville Johnson have been published online by The Hollywood Reporter.

They claim Disney has made it “exceedingly difficult for profit participants to retain the best possible representation and be paid the monies they are due.”

The papers claim their chosen auditing firm Robinson Inc, which they say specializes in Hollywood cases, is “tough, tenacious, and gets results”.

However, they say Disney has instead asked for the audit to be done by one of the nationally recognized “big four” accounting companies.

Richard Dreyfuss co-starred with Bill Murray in What About Bob?, which the legal papers state was the 19th biggest film of 1991, taking more than $63.7 million at the US box office alone.

Christine Wagner says she is entitled to 50% of Turner and Hooch net profits, which starred Tom Hanks as a detective took $167 million worldwide.

The lawsuit have accused film studios of making auditing “as onerous as possible” and claim the wait to examine books at Disney is an “inexcusable and outrageous” three years.

The legal papers claim: “It’s a one-sided world where corporations assert their control over talent who do not have the leverage to otherwise protect themselves.

“What Disney has done is reduce an already very small pool of auditors to a nearly non-existent puddle, and made it exceedingly difficult for profit participants to retain the best possible representation and be paid the monies they are due.”