The Nun star suing Warner Bros as she takes stand over merchandising profits
The Nun star Bonnie Aarons is suing Warner Bros. over merchandising profits. She claims the studio refused to pay her for her "contractually required share."
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The Nun's Bonnie Aarons is almost as angry as her character right now.
The titular character is willing to bring hell on Earth, doing anything to cause havoc on mortals, but Aarons is also just as willing to do whatever it takes to get what's owed to her.
On Tuesday, Aarons, who has played the Demon Nun - a.k.a. Valak - in several of The Conjuring Universe's films, including the upcoming The Nun II, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.
She is seeking what she claims to be her "contractually required share of merchandising revenues."
The 62-year-old actress' suit states that Warner Bros. "exploited the talent, creativity, and likeness of Bonnie Aarons... to enormous financial success.
The Nun made $365 million at the box office on a $22 million budget, making it the highest-grossing film in the Conjuring Cinematic Universe.
The suit continued to state that the importance of Aarons' contributions to the success of the movie is "undeniable."
Unlike other horror movie monsters "who hide behind a mask or are CGI creations," Aarons' Valak is based on her physical features.
The suit said that Peter Safran, a producer for The Conjuring 2 and The Nun, said "The moment we saw [Ms. Aarons], with the unique geography of her face, everybody said: 'This is exactly who we want, this is who it has to be.'"
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It added that Aarons' The Nun is so popular that her appearance in The Conjuring 2 spawned the spinoff franchise, The Nun movies, based on Aarons' character.
The franchise has also spawned "all manner of merchandise including toys, dolls, decorations, pins, jewelry, t-shirts, socks, bedding, costumes, drinkware, and posters all using Ms. Aarons' likeness."
The filing claims that Warner Bros. has "refused to account intelligibly and to pay Ms. Aarons her contractually required share of merchandising revenues."
According to the suit, Aarons was paid a fixed fee for her work on The Nun.
However, the studio also allegedly offered the opportunity for additional compensation via box office bonuses and merchandise featuring her likeness.
The suit reads: "Instead of accounting and paying in a transparent fashion, Warner Bros. obscures and hides the same amount of Ms. Aarons' rightful share of merchandising revenues, all while continuing to exploit her."
It later claims that, because of Warner Bros.'s actions, the actress - who began her career in 1994 - "has suffered damages in an amount to be proven at trial."
The Nun II will hit theaters on September 8 and is directed by Michael Chaves, who praised Aarons to Entertainment Weekly.
Chaves said: "Bonnie's incredible. She can really turn it on, she really knows what's scary, and she's just so easy. It's not like she's always in this Dark Nun persona, she's not the Method Nun."
Aarons recently supported the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikers by posting pictures straight from the picket lines on her Instagram.
