The producers of the 2022 biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody licensed more than 20 of the singer's songs for use in the film, and is now being sued by Sony Music for allegedly evading payment. The company claims that despite several reminders, Anthem Films still won't settle up.
“As a result of Anthem’s failures, Defendants’ use of the SME Recordings in the Film has been unauthorized, and Defendants have had no legal right to use the SME Recordings,” Sony attorneys wrote in the complaint.
Reviews of the film, which starred Naomi Ackie as the iconic singer and Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis, were mixed, but the film eventually grossed about $60 million worldwide. It's not clear how much Sony is asking for in the suit.
