News

Lucy Liu has reposnded to the idea of reprising her Charlie's Angels character. Liu portrayed Alex Munday in the 2000 movie and its sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, starring alongside Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. During a recent conversation with Entertainment Tonight, the Red One actress said she was "never going to say no" to the possibility of returning as Alex. But while Liu is open to another Charlie's Angels feature, fans of the films shouldn't rejoice just yet:

"I don't hear much of anything until it actually happens. I'm never going to say no to that. But I would be surprised to hear anything that gets done or undone. You just never know until it happens."

Charlie's Angels and its sequel were based on Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts' 1976 hit series about three women working as private investigators for a mysterious employer named Charlie. The series' first season was famously led by Jaclyn Smith,...

Lucy Liu is game to listen to ideas for a possible Charlie’s Angels reboot and reprise her role of Alex Munday.

In a new interview, Liu said she was open to revisiting the character she played in the 2000 film directed by McG and in which she co-starred alongside Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz.

“I don’t hear much of anything until it actually happens,” Liu told Entertainment Tonight when asked if she had heard anything about a possible reboot.

Although there are no set plans to reboot the franchise, if there were, Liu said, “I’m never going to say no to that. But I would be surprised to hear anything that gets done or undone. You just never know until it happens.”

The year 2025 will mark the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the film adaptation of the 1976 television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, which originally starred Jaclyn Smith,...

The gangster genre has a rich cinematic lineage that played a significant role in the development of American, French, Japanese, and Hong Kong cinema. Some of film history's greatest auteurs have excelled in the gangster genre, evolving gangster moviemaking from a B movie genre into one of international cinema's most popular genres. In the United States, filmmakers like Raoul Walsh greatly shaped gangster cinema during Hollywood's Golden Age. Throughout the New Hollywood movement, directors such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Brian De Palma pushed the genre toward unprecedented critical and commercial heights.

Overseas, auteurs Jean-Pierre Melville and Seijun Suzuki made existentialism cool with their highly stylized gangster movies produced during the 1960s. In Hong Kong, John Woo and Johnnie To combined the gangster genre with action cinema to create some of the most thrilling movies ever made. Many of the best gangster movie directors of all time account...

During the mid-1970s, television producer Aaron Spelling and the writing duo of Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts hit upon the most spectacularly novel idea: Viewers loved watching women solve crimes. The eureka moment occurred in 1974 when the great and ludicrously beautiful Angie Dickinson scored a primetime hit with "Police Woman." While I'd argue Dickinson could've burned up the Nielsen ratings via weekly readings of Russian literature shot at the Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, she was a must-watch sensation as a glamorously attired detective. Though the scripts were rigorously formulaic for a '70s hour-long cop show, Dickinson's showbiz rep attracted a host of top tier guest stars; "Police Woman" didn't have much of a hook, but thanks to its star, it had plenty of sizzle.

It took some prodding (ABC execs Barry Diller and Michael Eisner abhorred Spelling's pitch), but "Charlie's Angels" became the breakout hit of the 1976 season.

Exclusive: A reimagination of the Charlie’s Angels franchise for tweens set in Brazil is in development from Sony Pictures Television – Kids and Sony Pictures Television-backed Floresta.

Viewers can expect the same high-octane action and comedy from the various Charlie’s Angels projects as well as a mysterious boss and empowered young female characters. Brazilian actress and writer, Suzana Pires (Sol Nascente; Flor do Caribe) will pen the Portuguese-language, live-action collaboration.

At the center of the tale are three pre-teens from different backgrounds and realities who are selected by a talent scout according to their special skills to join a secret school of spies called the Angels Academy. Each episode will follow the angels as they solve crimes and save the world…all while navigating their first year of spy school. The stories will blend a mix of real, relatable and at times, absurd cases, amped up with elements of fun and wish fulfillment.

“Good morning, Charlie,” became an iconic line that made its mark on the spy stories genre in movies and television. These stories are filled with action, comedy, and intricate villains that are as evil as they are entertaining to watch. There have been a few productions that feature these agents, and the newest installment came out four years ago, Charlie’s Angels.

The previous project with the Angels was made eight years before the new movie, and a lot changed in between. The film has an incredible cast, with famous actors playing almost every role, and the leads are Kristen Stewart, Ella Balinska, and Naomi Scott. The Angels don’t fight against their femininity but embrace it and use it to their advantage, something that solidifies their brand and stands out from the other stories. As Kristen Stewart's character said in the movie, "At my job, it's actually considered a huge advantage to be a woman.

McG is open to returning to the director's chair for Charlie’s Angels 3 – two decades after the sequel.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, McG, who directs the upcoming Netflix comedy movie Family Switch, had high praise for the Charlie's Angels stars Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz while opening up about why he would return to direct the third movie.

Related: Elizabeth Banks Had No 'Gendered Agenda' With Charlie's Angels Reboot

"Who knows? Maybe we've got one left in us that tells a very compelling story if the opportunity presents itself," he said, continuing: "I love the three of them so much. They put me on the map. They looked out for me when I was a first-time filmmaker. I was very nearly fired off that film on many, many occasions, and Drew stood up for me and I'm forever indebted to her. And obviously, those are three performers where God broke the mold.

Jaclyn Smith is an American actress and designer. She is best known for her role in Charlie’s Angels, her Kmart fashion and skincare lines.

Jaclyn Smith Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education

Jaclyn Smith was born on October 26, 1945 (Jaclyn Smith: age 77) in Houston, Texas. Her parents were Margaret Ellen and Jack Smith (of Russian-Jewish heritage). In 1964 she graduated from Mirabeau B. Lamar High School and went to study psychology and drama at Trinity University. After one year she transferred to Balanchine School of American Ballet.

Her first acting roles consisted of modeling for commercials and ads, including Listerine and Breck Shampoo in 1971. A few years later she joined her future co-star Farrah Fawcett as a spokesmodel for Wella Balsam Shampoo. Her first movies consisted of Goodbye, Columbus (1969), The Adventurers (1970), Probe (1972) and Bootleggers (1974) before starting her role as Kelly Garrett in Charlie’s Angels.

In her exclusive interview with uInterview, Smith discussed...

Actress Jaclyn Smith, best known for her iconic role as Kelly Garrett in Charlie’s Angels, recently sat down with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss how she got her start on the show for our Icon Interview series.

“I had done Switch with Robert Wagner and Eddie Albert and I had a semi-regular role and oddly enough, Rj had an interest in Charlie’s Angels and Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts who were the producers of hour pilot said we like the girl on Switch, even though they wanted a redhead because it was to be a blonde, a brunette and a redhead thinking it covered all the bases and women in the world which was a little crazy,” Smith said describing how she ended up being cast. “Even though I didn’t have red hair, I got the part. I went in a read among a lot of other actresses,...

Fierce Irish rebels go head-to-head with Brit occupation forces, and James Cagney is first on the barricades. Michael Anderson’s thriller about terror violence in 1921 Dublin has suspense, beautiful cinematography in real Irish locations, and a standout cast: Don Murray, Glynis Johns, Dana Wynter, Michael Redgrave, Cyril Cusack and Sybil Thorndike — plus added-value players Richard Harris, Donal Donnelly and Niall MacGinness. Cagney’s surgeon-turned guerilla doesn’t yell “Top of the World!” but he’s as psychotic as Cody Jarrett: he wants to shoot both the leading ladies. Included is a good interview with Don Murray.

Shake Hands with the Devil

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1959 / Color B&w / 1:66 widescreen/ 111 min. / Street Date January 4, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave, Sybil Thorndike, Cyril Cusack, Marianne Benet, Robert Brown, John Cairney, Harry H. Corbett, Eileen Crowe, Allan Cuthbertson, Donal Donnelly, Richard Harris,...

Now that we can read the real story of the great silent actor and makeup magician Lon Chaney, the inaccuracies are fairly glaring in this well-received biopic about his career heights and difficult personal life. But it remains a compelling James Cagney movie, allowing the actor to try on different acting styles (and even a dancing style). The dramatic conflicts may be invented, but they’re compelling just the same. The movie works even as it represents Chaney’s original fantastic makeup creations with a series of ever-worsening rubber masks. Excellent supporting performances from Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer and Celia Lovsky. This one carries a good Tim Lucas commentary as well.

Man of a Thousand Faces

Blu-ray

Arrow Video

1957 / B&w / 2:35 anamorphic widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date October 29, 2019 / Available from Arrow Video / 34.95

Starring: James Cagney, Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer, Marjorie Rambeau, Jim Backus, Robert Evans, Celia Lovsky, Jeanne Cagney, Jack Albertson.

Elizabeth Banks' Charlie's Angels reboot starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska will be hitting a theater near you this November. And today we have the first trailer to share. It's got all the action you might have been hoping for, plus plenty of Kristen Stewart. The latest reboot, which comes after the original 1970s TV show, a couple of small screen reboots and McG's big screen incarnation, is taking the franchise in a different direction as the Townsend Agency goes worldwide.

Director Elizabeth Banks takes the helm as the next generation of fearless Charlie's Angels take flight. In Banks' bold vision, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are working for the mysterious Charles Townsend, whose security and investigative agency has expanded internationally.

With the world's smartest, bravest, and most highly trained women all over the globe, there are now teams of Angels guided by multiple...

The reboot button was once again hit for Charlie’s Angels. Following McG’s early 2000s films and even a 2011 television series, Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts’ original creation is now in the hands of Elizabeth Banks. Written by, directed by, produced by, and even starring Banks, the first trailer has now arrived for the action feature, coming this November.

Led by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska, it’s another globe-trotting adventure of espionage. “It was important to me to make a movie about women working together and supporting each other, and not make a movie about their romantic entanglements or their mother they don’t call enough. When I’m at work, I don’t talk about those things. I get on with my job,” Banks told EW. “It felt important to do that for the Angels, to treat them with the respect their skill set demands.

Looks like director Elizabeth Banks' reboot of Charlie's Angels starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska has been pushed back, if only slightly. Following DC and Warner Bros. decision to move Wonder Woman 1984 from November 2019 to summer 2020, this reboot was at one point planned to fly into your local multiplex on November 1, 2019. That was because the original Drew Barrymore movie hit theaters over the first weekend in November 19 years ago. So, you know, legacy and whatnot. But today we have word that the powers that be behind the scenes have now sent the film over to a November 15, 2019 release date.

The release date shuffle is said to have come to light due to producer James Cameron and director Tim Miller's upcoming direct sequel to Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator: Dark Fate landing on November 1st as well. Not only that, but the studio gave the...

Kristen Stewart's character has been spotted on the Charlie's Angels reboot set. Production on the movie started recently, and these are the second batch of photos to leak. Elizabeth Banks is behind the camera for the reboot, which will also see the director in front of the camera as Bosley, alongside Patrick Stewart, and Djimon Hounsou, who are also playing different versions of the character. Bosley was played by one actor on the original Charlie's Angels TV series and previous two films.

In the latest Charlie's Angels set images, Kristen Stewart is shown with a handgun in hot pursuit. The actress recently talked about the reboot and called it "woke" and "well-intentioned." Aside from the action shots of Stewart, she's also seen hanging out, taking a break in between takes and hiding her weapon. None of the other angels are seen in these particular images from the reboot to leak.

Principal photography has started on actress/director Elizabeth Banks' reboot of "Charlie's Angels", starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, as "...beautiful girls who live dangerously as private investigators...", opening September 27, 2019:

Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for producer Aaron Spelling, the original 1976  'Angels' included Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith. 

The first "Charlie's Angels" feature (2000) starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, followed by the sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle".

"...'Sabrina Duncan', 'Jill Munroe' and 'Kelly Garrett' have all graduated from the police academy in Los Angeles, California. 

"Despite proving their capability during training, all three have subsequently been assigned to be a meter maid, office worker and crossing guard, respectively.

"Dissatisfied with these jobs, they are recruited to work for the 'Charles Townsend Agency' as private investigators. 

"Their boss, 'Charles (Charlie) Townsend', who nicknames them 'Angels',...

Dynamite Entertainment's "Charlie's Angels" #3, available August 8, 2018, in support of director Elizabeth Banks' upcoming "Charlie's Angels" feature film reboot, is written by John Layman and illustrated by Joe Eisma, with covers by Eisma and Vicente Cifuentes:

"...somethin' ain't right with 'Charlie' and the missions he's sending the 'Angels' on are also 'not right'.

"It hasn't taken the Angels long to figure out this Charlie might not be their Charlie- which means the next mission he sends them on could be a suicide mission..."

Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for producer Aaron Spelling, the first 1976 line-up of 'Angels' included Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith. 

The first "Charlie's Angels" feature (2000) starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, followed by the sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle".

"...'Sabrina Duncan', 'Jill Munroe' and 'Kelly Garrett' have all graduated...

"Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart will next star in director Elizabeth Banks' "Charlie's Angels" feature film reboot, alongside Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, as "...beautiful girls who live dangerously as private investigators...", opening September 27, 2019:

Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for producer Aaron Spelling, the first 1976 line-up of 'Angels' included Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith, followed by numerous other angels until 1981. 

The first "Charlie's Angels" feature (2000) starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, followed by the sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle".

"...'Sabrina Duncan', 'Jill Munroe' and 'Kelly Garrett' have all graduated from the police academy in Los Angeles, California. 

"Despite proving their capability during training, all three have subsequently been assigned to be a meter maid, office worker and crossing guard, respectively.

"Dissatisfied with these jobs, they are recruited to work for the 'Charles Townsend Agency' as private investigators.

"Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years A Slave") are in talks to star in another reboot of "Charlie’s Angels", as "...beautiful girls who live dangerously", to be directed by Elizabeth Banks ("Pitch Perfect 2") targeting a June 7, 2019 release:

Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for producer Aaron Spelling, the first 1976 line-up of 'Angels' included Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith, followed by numerous other angels until 1981.

A "Charlie's Angels" feature (2000) starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, with a sequel titled "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle".

"...'Sabrina Duncan', 'Jill Munroe' and 'Kelly Garrett' have all graduated from the police academy in Los Angeles, California.

"Despite proving their capability during training, all three have subsequently been assigned to be a meter maid, office worker and crossing guard, respectively.

"Dissatisfied with these jobs, they are recruited to work for...

Getty

From an Irish Breakfast to Irish music, there are plenty of ways to spend St. Patrick’s Day. Speakeasy has put together an exhaustive, absolutely-definitive list of the Top Five. Here they are:

1. Eat an Irish Breakfast.

There’s “starch before you march” at Ulysses Folk House , 95 Pearl Street, or you can get Irish breakfast at Tir Na Nog on 5 Penn Plaza, bet. 33rd and 34th, or the Half King, 505 W. 23rd St. Fitzpatrick’s Hotel on 687 Lexington (where...

Chicago – Out of all the franchises recently resurrected on the small screen, “Charlie’s Angels” is perhaps the least necessary. Does the world really need yet another rehash of the hit ’70s show that has been hailed for its female empowerment but was mainly popular because of its scantily clad female ensemble? There’s a very good reason why the show was referred to as “Jiggle TV,” and the reason was Farrah Fawcett.

Yet Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films seems determined to make the dated schlock relevant for a new generation. The company produced two “Angels” films in the early 2000s that were trashy fun at best, audience-insulting dreck at worst. Now Flower Films has teamed up with “Smallville” creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar to launch the latest incarnation of “Angels” on the 35th anniversary of its original debut. Too bad the ladies’ clipped wings already appear primed for cancellation.

Gina Herold Gabriel Byrne, left, and Enda Walsh

Directors Jim Sheridan and Enda Walsh chatted with actor Gabriel Byrne yesterday at MoMA about their own films and others, as part of “Revisiting The Quiet Man: Ireland on Film,” an exhibit which runs through June 3. John Ford’s classic 1952 story about Sean Thornton (John Wayne), an American boxer born in Ireland who returns to Innisfree and falls in love with Mary Kate Danneher (Maureen O’Hara), is more than just a feel-good St.

From Sony Pictures TV and Drew Barrymore's Flower Films, Sneak Peek an image from the new ABC pilot reboot of the classic 1976 'Jiggle TV' series "Charlie's Angels", created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts.

The 3 new female leads are :

Annie Ilonzeh ("General Hospital");

Minka Kelly ("Friday Night Lights");

Rachael Taylor ("Transformers").

The pilot script, directed by Marcos Siega ("The Vampire Diaries") is written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville"), who also executive produce along with Nancy Juvonen and original "Charlie's Angels" TV producer Leonard Goldberg.

Premise of the new show will remain the same as the original series, with three women who work as private investigators for a mysterious, unseen man named 'Charlie Townsend' (Robert Wagner), who only communicates with them through a speaker box.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek the original "Charlie's Angels"...

Beverly Hills, CA . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. .Monday Nights with Oscar®. series will celebrate film noir with a screening of .White Heat. (1949) on Monday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. Academy Writers Branch member Richard Lagravenese (.The Fisher King,. .Water for Elephants.) will introduce the screening.

Directed by Raoul Walsh, .White Heat. marked the return of James Cagney to the gangster genre that made him a star. Cagney portrays Cody Jarrett, a mother-obsessed escaped convict and leader of a ruthless gang of thieves. While plotting the biggest heist of his life, Jarrett unwittingly befriends an undercover cop (Edmond O.Brien) and sets the stage for his own downfall. Virginia Moll rounds out the cast as the gangster.s wife.

The screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts features such memorable lines as .Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

Welcome back to The Pilot Pirate, where we preview the latest scripts looking for a home on the 2011-12 primetime TV schedule. Each week, we read and preview some of the projects interest to the AfterEllen.com community, breaking down scripts to help you, the optimistic TV fan anxiously awaiting the next Modern Family or Glee, keep up with the onslaught of pilots in contention.

A reminder: These are early stage scripts that are likely to be revised and, in some cases, drastically change before filming, and only some of which will make it to the airwaves.

Pilot: Charlie's Angels (drama)

Writers: Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville). Based on the original TV series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts

Network: ABC

Logline: The remake of the 1970s series, described as a modern take on the Angels set in Miami.

Cast: Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights), Rachael Taylor (Transformers...

From Sony Pictures TV and Drew Barrymore's Flower Films, the new ABC pilot reboot of the classic 1976 'Jiggle TV' series "Charlie's Angels", created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, has now cast their 3 'sexy sleuth' leads :

Annie Ilonzeh ("General Hospital");

Minka Kelly ("Friday Night Lights");

Rachael Taylor ("Transformers").

Script is written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville"), who also executive produce along with Nancy Juvonen and original "Charlie's Angels" TV producer Leonard Goldberg. The pilot will be directed by Marcos Siega ("The Vampire Diaries").

The premise of the show will remain the same as the original series, with three women who work as private investigators for a mysterious, unseen man named 'Charlie Townsend' (Robert Wagner), who only communicates with them through a speaker box.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Charlie's Angels"...

HollywoodNews.com: “White Heat” (1949), featuring the return of James Cagney to the gangster genre that made him a star, will be screened as the final feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ series “Oscar Noir: 1940s Writing Nominees from Hollywood’s Dark Side” on Monday, August 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The film will be introduced by writer, producer, director and five-time Oscar® nominee Paul Thomas Anderson.

“White Heat,” which stars Cagney as Cody Jarrett, a mother-obsessed escaped convict, was directed by Raoul Walsh from a screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts. It received an Academy Award® nomination for Writing – Motion Picture Story (Virginia Kellogg).

At 7 p.m., the Warner Bros. cartoon short “Golden Yeggs” (1950), starring Daffy Duck, and footage from the 1975 dedication of the Academy’s Beverly Hills headquarters building and Samuel Goldwyn Theater will be screened as part...

Film Noir Classic Collection: Vol. 5, has dusted off eight films of the celebrated genre and adapted them to DVD format. Collections like these, which bring older films to newer light, are godsends regardless (to a degree) of which films are selected, because as timeless as some of these stories and performances might be, the barrier of being stuck in an old format can bury them forever. And these stories deserve to be told. If you watch a few well made noir thrillers you will no doubt see the seeds that were planted in the heads of crime-thriller filmmakers the likes of Martin Scorsese or Michael Mann. Though there are better films in the noir genre that this collection could have culminated, there are also a lot worse. Any fan of noir films or old mysteries and thrillers will be pleased at what this box set has to offer.

Desperate (1947)

Directed...

ABC reports it will 'reboot' the classic TV series "Charlie's Angels", hiring writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville") to develop a pilot for a possible mid-season series launch.

The original "Charlie's Angels", airing on ABC, 1976 to 1981, was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, under the working title "The Alley Cats".

Premise of the first episode followed three women who graduate from the Los Angeles police academy only to be assigned duties handling switchboards and directing traffic.

Quitting the force, they are hired to work for the 'Charles Townsend Agency' as private investigators. Their boss, 'Charlie', is never seen full face, assigning cases to the 'Angels' and his liaison, 'Bosley', via a speaker phone.

Most episodes followed a regular structure whereby a crime is committed; the Angels are given the case details by Charlie and Bosley; the trio go undercover (usually involving...

Though many recent primetime schedules are littered with unsuccessful revivals of old TV shows, ABC thinks the time is right for a new version of Charlie's Angels. It's actually the third time that this has been attempted. Will this one actually make it?

Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, the original Charlie's Angels debuted on ABC on September 22, 1976. The story revolves around three picture-perfect young ladies who work for a private investigation agency and use their beauty and skills to solve cases.

The show's original trio of women was played by Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith. David Doyle played helper John Bosley and John Forsythe voiced the unseen owner of the agency, Charlie Townsend. Fawcett left after one season was replaced by Cheryl Ladd. Jackson left after three seasons and was replaced by Shelley Hack. The producers...

A California appellate panel has ruled that actor Robert Wagner may be the owner of rights in the Charlie's Angels television series but he is not entitled to profits from the Columbia Pictures movie franchise based thereon.

In an opinion issued Monday, the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected Wagner's claims that he and his children are contractually entitled to net profits earned by 2000's Charlie's Angels and 2003's Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, which starred Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu.

Wagner and his former wife Natalie Wood developed the popular 1970s TV series with producers Aaron Spelling, Leonard Goldberg and their Spelling-Goldberg Prods. Under an agreement with the production company, Wagner and Wood were entitled to 50% of the net profits Spelling-Goldberg received "for the right to exhibit photoplays of the series and from the exploitation of all ancillary, music and subsidiary rights in connection therewith."

Years after Spelling-Goldberg sold both its rights and obligations relating to Charlie's Angels to Sony Pictures Television, Columbia purchased theatrical motion picture rights from heirs of the show's writers, Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, to whom film rights had reverted under Writers Guild of America "separated rights" rules. Both Columbia and Sony Pictures Television are Sony-affiliated companies.

Wagner argued that under his contract with Spelling-Goldberg, the "subsidiary rights" provision meant he and his children with Wood, who died in 1981, were entitled to share in 50% of the income "from all sources," including the films.