Rian Johnson's Ex Agent Brian Dreyfuss Sues ’Star Wars Episode 8’ Director for Contract Breach

Rian Johnson has been sharing with the world bits and pieces from his current job as director, as he takes J.J. Abrams' place behind the camera for Star Wars: Episode 8. However, it's not all dream fulfillments for the filmmaker: his former agent, Brian Dreyfuss, has just hit him with a contract breach lawsuit over his involvement in the billion-dollar franchise.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dreyfuss filed the suit last Friday in Los Angeles, claiming Johnson owed him his 10 percent commission for the (presumably multi-million dollar) deal with Disney, which had him sign up to write and direct Episode 8. Besides Johnson, another defendant in the lawsuit is Ram Bergman (who produced Johnson's Looper and upcoming Star Wars episodes 8 and 9), as Dreyfuss claims the producer edged him out of Johnson's work.

In his suit, Dreyfuss claims he began representing Johnson in 2002, and their contract at the time included a clause saying the filmmaker would give him 10 percent commission of every project he facilitated. Dreyfuss claims their agreement stated he would receive commission, even when he didn't set up the employment contracts.

Cinema Blend reports that Dreyfuss' main argument is that he was the person who connected then-client Johnson with Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Lucasfilm. She contacted the filmmaker to know if he was interested in joining the Star Wars crew. At the time, Johnson refused to join any future projects in the franchise, but Dreyfuss claims Bergman set out to convince him to edge him out of any projects and having him join Star Wars.

Johnson fired Dreyfuss as his agent in 2014, months later after confirming he'd be involved with Lucasfilm for future Star Wars projects. Neither Johnson nor Bergman have publicly responded to the lawsuit just yet, while Dreyfuss demands damages and a court declaration that he be paid 10 percent of his Star Wars project.

The still-untitled Star Wars: Episode 8 will be out in theaters on December 15, 2017.