Oscar winner Adrien Brody’s latest period drama is undergoing off-screen drama of historical proportions.
The fate of Emperor, director Lee Tamahori’s (Die Another Day) Roman epic that stars Brody, is unclear after the film’s producer was arrested for tax fraud and money laundering, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Paul Breuls, the 66-year-old who founded the now-bankrupt Belgium production group Corsan, has been incarcerated since June 21.
Belgian officials charge that Corsan failed to provide promised tax certificates that allow its stable of small investors to write off their investments.
The legal ramifications have shut down post-production on Emperor, and there are reports circulating that both Brody and Tamahori, as well as others in the cast and crew, haven’t been fully paid for their work.
Lawyers representing approximately 250 of Corsan’s investors are attempting to seize all of Breuls’ assets—including Emperor, on which Breuls is credited as the original producer.
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