Judge OKs Warren Beatty Lawsuit Against Tribune Media Services

By: E&P Staff A federal judge has ruled that actor Warren Beatty can proceed with his lawsuit against Tribune Media Services (TMS) over the rights to comic strip detective Dick Tracy.

Beatty, court papers say, acquired the movie and TV rights for ?Dick Tracy? in 1985, and starred in and directed the 1990 film adaptation that won three Academy awards (for Best Makeup, Best Art Direction and Best Song).

TMS claims a deal that allowed the rights to be granted to Beatty had lapsed because he had not begun working on a new project based on the character. Beatty says he was producing a television special last year about Dick Tracy when he was notified the rights had lapsed.

Beatty filed suit in California state court last year, but the case was put on hold by the Tribune Co.?s entry into Chapter 11 protection. Meanwhile, Tribune filed an adversary complaint asking Delaware's bankruptcy court for a summary judgment declaring Dick Tracy the company's property, Reuters reported.

Bankruptcy judge Kevin Carey ruled that Beatty?s California case could proceed, but also did not dismiss action by Tribune in bankruptcy court.