Director Antoine Fuqua is being sued by Paul Lozada, a former collaborator, after allegedly failing to compensate for the plaintiff’s contributions on “The Equalizer 3.”
Philip Kaplan, an entertainment and civil rights lawyer representing Lozada, filed a 20-page Complaint in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Fuqua outlining claims for breach of oral contract, Implied-in-fact contract, common counts, and promissory fraud. The production companies Fuqua Films, Inc., Escape Artists Productions, Inc. are
also named in the Complaint, along with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.
Lozada is a former officer of the San Francisco Police Department who specialized in the Intelligence and Special Investigations units as well as the Homicide Division and Gang Task Force. Lozada used his expertise and knowledge in his field to become a consultant and has received credits for TV and feature films, most notably “Training Day”, “Brooklyn’s Finest”, and “The Equalizer”. All these films were directed by Fuqua and have been given high marks for their accuracy and realism depicted in the characters and environments. Lozada worked closely with actor Denzel Washington (who will be appearing in the upcoming “The Equalizer 3”) to develop his iconic character in “Training Day” and even lent his shoulder holster (used in the film) to the production. Lozada’s shoulder holster is currently displayed at the Warner Bros. Museum in Burbank, CA.
The Complaint alleges that Lozada used his expertise to consult Fuqua, once again, on his production of “The Equalizer 3” by, among other things, conducting research to consult on matters relating to the operations of the Italian mafia, drug trade shipping methods, accurate fight and martial arts techniques, and the timeline of a forensic investigation of a murder scene for the new film “Equalizer 3.”The Complaint contains alleged text conversations between Fuqua and Lozada concerning Lozada’s services on EQ3.
Despite devoting a number of hours on EQ3, including making contributions to the critical opening sequence, the allegations of Lozada’s Complaint include Fuqua’s denial of any contribution by Lozada: “Not one thing in Equalizer had anything to do with you. Not one thing. You came to Rome, and I wanted you involved somehow. To help you. Not me… I have nothing but love and respect for you Paul. But I don’t Owe you anything.” Phillip Kaplan, counsel for Lozada, when asked to comment on the actions of Fuqua and defendants, drew attention to similarities between this lawsuit and the current Writers’ Guild strike that has shut down Hollywood. Kaplan: “Paul Lozada stands shoulder to shoulder with the strikers. The people who work hard behind the scenes to make the magic of Hollywood possible deserve to be treated fairly.”
Representatives for Fuqua and Sony Pictures Entertainment have not yet responded to requests for comment. “The Equalizer 3” has been released in theaters this week.
If you are in a situation where you believe your civil rights were violated or you have other questions/needs, Mr. Kaplan’s contact information is provided below:
Email: philipkaplanlaw@gmail.com
Phone: (213) 820-2874
3278 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 106
Los Angeles CA
