Chuck Norris dealt a powerful slow-motion kick to CBS bigwigs in a profits battle over Walker, Texas Ranger.
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Norris sued the network for more than $30 million over profits from the action crime television series, which parties say has now been resolved. And while the amount awarded to Norris has not been disclosed, an insider tells Deadline it's a hefty sum.
Norris' Top Kick Productions alleged CBS and Sony Pictures TV (since dropped from the charges) collected bucketloads of money off Walker, Texas Ranger without paying Top Kick their fair share. The series, which ran from 1993 to 2001, made over $692 million.
The suit, which was filed back in 2019, alleged the networks distributed the series in such a way as to avoid paying Norris for streaming revenue.
The win comes at a crucial time as creatives industry-wide battle it out with the notoriously crafty corporate Hollywood. Just like Norris, one of the key demands of the writers and actors currently on strike is residuals from streaming. And a win for Norris may be a sign of future victories for Team Actor.
The filing from Top Kick Productions reads as follows: "The Defendants have consciously sought to market, sell and distribute Walker in ways that are designed to collect significant fees and revenues from the ongoing exploitation of Walker but without having to honor or pay Top Kick, and to instead materially breach the 23 Percent Profit Clause."
CBS denies any breach of contract.
In Walker, Texas Ranger, Norris starred as the titular Cordell Walker, a tough and honorable Texas Ranger who also happened to be a master of karate. Joined by his wise and fatherly partner, James "Jimmy" Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), Walker whooped up on bad guys with devastating high kicks and fists of fury, embarking on all kinds of dangerous missions to uphold justice and protect the innocent in the Lone Star State.
Norris has seen a resurgence in recent years as his rugged and soft-spoken image became the subject of countless memes satirizing macho archetypes. Chuck Norris uses pepper spray to season his meat, reads one. Another, Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience.
