"Furious 7" is scheduled to be released on April 3 in the United States and has been set to be shown in Thailand on April 1. This may no longer be the case for the Thailand release due to a legal battle concerning the contract of one of the film's stars – Tony Jaa.
Sahamongkol Film International, one of Thailand's most prominent film groups, recently obtained a court injunction that prevents the release of "Furious 7" in the country. The company alleges that Tatchakorn Yeerum a.k.a. Tony Jaa, star of the "Ong Bak" franchise, breached his contract which is valid until 2023. As cited by Variety, the issue first arose in 2013 when the actor was cast in "Furious 7." The actor insisted that his contract had ended but the firm responded by stating it has been renewed.
Sahamongkol is now demanding a compensation of THB1.6 billion or $49 million. This compensation is said to cover all previous investments that launched Jaa's career, future financial losses, and 7.5 percent interest.
Thai courts will not examine the case until June, meaning the film may be delayed for a Thai release until the latter half of the year. Sahamongkol's lawyer Suwat Apaiyasak stated that the firm would be open for negotiations. If negotiations push through and a settlement is agreed upon outside the court, then the film may be released before June.
A delay in release is going to hurt the film's box office returns and it may not be good news for the producers and for Jaa particularly, but Thai fans of the franchise have also voiced out their concerns. They have launched an online petition on Facebook which aims to force the court to lift the film's release ban. As of the time of writing, over 20,000 people have signed the petition, demanding for the film to be released on schedule.
