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\n\tAnn Carli, who produced Britney Spears<\/a>\u2018 debut film Crossroads<\/em>, didn\u2019t know that the 2002 film was so beloved<\/a>. In a new lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court, she claims that she realized only when Sony<\/a> Music Entertainment announced that the film would be returning to theaters in 2023<\/a> \u2014 and with that came the realization that she had not been paid 22 years of net profits from the movie.<\/p>\n \n\tCarli has sued Sony Music for breach of contract and fraud. She is seeking at least $36 million in damages, as well as attorney\u2019s fees and costs. The complaint also includes a demand for accounting. Carli\u2019s attorneys, as well as representatives for Sony Music Entertainment, did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2018s request for comment. <\/p>\n \n\tThe complaint obtained by Rolling Stone<\/em> states that Carli, operating through the film production company Fuzzy Bunny Inc., inked a production contract with Filmco Enterprises, the production company behind the film, in 2001. Under the contract, Carli was paid $300,000 as a producer\u2019s fee and was entitled to 10 percent of net profits from Crossroads<\/em>. The document states that the film was her \u201cbrainchild,\u201d noting, that she \u201coriginated the concept for the motion picture Crossroads<\/em> specifically as a starring vehicle for pop star Britney Spears.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tWritten by Shonda Rhimes and directed by Tamra Davis, Crossroads <\/em>was produced with a budget of $11 million. Filmco approved a budget of $12 million, according to the filing. The movie was released in February 2002, earning $14.5 million in its opening weekend. By closing, it earned $37.5 million in the U.S. and Canada as well as over $61.1 million worldwide. Further revenue incurred through DVD and VHS sales, television licensing, and merchandising, which, the claim reads, \u201cwere significant in the early 2000s given Britney Spears\u2019 peak popularity.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBut as streaming and digital became the dominating form of film consumption, Crossroads <\/em>was not easily accessible for years. It arrived to Netflix in February 2024<\/a>, 22 years after its release, thanks to a licensing deal between Sony Music and Netflix. In 2002, Filmco was acquired by BMG, which later merged with Sony Music, leaving Sony Music the owner of the rights and obligations pertaining to Crossroads<\/em> as of 2008.<\/p>\n