The producer of a failed sci-fi film, which actress Eva Green called “pure vomit”, did not know she had “all this vitriol”, the High Court heard.
Jake Seal, owner of Black Hangar Studios in Hampshire, began his evidence on Monday afternoon in the legal battle between the Casino Royale star and a production company over the fall of the film A Patriot.
On the seventh day of the trial in London, Mr Seal began his evidence, telling the court that he had only had very limited contact with the actress.
“I didn’t know she hated me and had all this vitriol towards me,” he said.
“I have only met Ms Green face-to-face once at a meeting attended by her, the former directors and Mr Harry Boyd… Other than that meeting, I have only communicated with her by email,” Mr Seal said in his writing. evidence.
The court previously heard Ms Green described Mr Seal as a “devious sociopath”, “evil”, “pure vomit” and “a liar and a madman”.
Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern Film, said Ms Green also described Mr Seal as “the devil”, and production manager Terry Bird as a “f***** moron” in exchanges with her agent and writer the movie. and described the pair as “absolute cesspools”.
In another message, Ms Green claimed her “soul would die” if she was required to make the film with Mr Seal at the Black Hangar Studios, Mr Mallin said.
Mr Seal continued in his witness statement that Ms Green was “constantly pushing for expensive, and often unnecessary, staff members who could not afford the film’s budget”.
He added: “The claims made by Ms Green were all at rates much higher than the budget could sustain, often twice what could be sustained, and were neither necessary nor rates I thought White Lantern or Black Hangar needed to take.”
The French actress played the lead role in the film, but the production was abandoned in October 2019.
She is now suing White Lantern Film, claiming she is entitled to her million dollar fee (£810,000), while the production company and lender SMC Specialty Finance are counter-claiming, alleging she has been defrauded of independent film production.
During her evidence, Ms Green said she had a “very direct way of saying things” and “sometimes you say things you don’t mean”.
She continued: “You say you hate someone and you say, ‘I’m going to kill this person’.
“Are you going to kill this person? It’s not. It is a cry from the heart.”
The court previously heard evidence from Harry Boyd – the project’s first assistant director who later resigned – who described Black Hangar Studios as “like a morgue” and a “leaky, soundproof aircraft hangar “.
Production designer Damien Creagh raised concerns about the soundproofing and crew on the set, the court also heard, claiming that Mr Seal’s wife could be a prop master on the production despite her lack of experience.
In written evidence, Mr Seal said the Hampshire studio had been used to produce films and TV shows including Star Wars Rogue One and Doctor Who, and that Black Hangar Studios “provides services for films substantially similar to the biggest studios in the UK”.
The producer disagreed with Mr Boyd that there were problems with soundproofing or weatherproofing, adding that it was dry when Mr Boyd visited the studio.
Mr Seal is due to conclude his evidence on Tuesday and the trial will conclude on Friday, with a written decision expected later.