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Professional poker player Dan Bilzerian is suing the producers of Peter Berg‘s Lone Survivor, claiming he loaned the production $1 million in exchange for a role in the film. The problem? Bilzerian says the promised role was significantly smaller than agreed upon.
According to the suit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, producers Randall Emmett and George Furla agreed Bilzerian could play the role of Sr. Chief Healy in the Navy SEAL drama, and that he would “appear recognizably” in the film for at least eight minutes and speak at least 80 words of dialogue. But Bilzerian says he appears in the film for less than one minute and has just one line.
The lawsuit is seeking damages to be determined at trial, and Bilzerian believes they will be in excess of $1.2 million (the original loan amount plus a 20 percent penalty).
An agreement dated Oct. 10, 2012 between Bilzerian and the producers says writer-director Berg had “meaningfully consulted” with Bilzerian and “taken into consideration Bilzerian’s thoughts” on the part, which was written specifically for him.
Reps for Emmett and Furla did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Bilzerian previously performed stunts in Olympus Has Fallen, according to his IMDB page. He is represented by Michael J. Plonsker of Plonsker Law.
Lone Survivor centers the real-life failed mission of a group of Navy SEALs, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster as SEALS attempting to take down a Taliban leader. It’s slated to hit theaters Dec. 27.
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