Jesse Eisenberg Doesn’t Want You Thinking He’d Star in Something Called ‘Camp Hell’
For many, Jesse Eisenberg seemingly sprang out of the blue when he starred in "Zombieland" and "The Social Network," but, of course, he'd been paying his dues for years before then, probably most notably in the small (but great) indie "The Squid and the Whale." Now that he's been in everything from "Rio" to "30 Minutes or Less," he's in that lucky position where his name can help open a movie. Unfortunately, it also means that movies he regrets from his early career will try to cash in on that name. But apparently Eisenberg has had it, and he's suing the distributors of "Camp Hell" for overstating his involvement in the horror movie.
The lawsuit, which was first reported by E!, is being directed at Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment, which released the film on DVD. When the film was released theatrically, Eisenberg's name was one of many featured on the poster, but for the DVD it's his name and face alone that grace the cover. "Camp Hell," which was once called "Camp Hope" and whose plot is described on IMDb as "Evil invades a children's spiritual retreat," co-stars Andrew McCarthy and Dana Delany and supposedly only features Eisenberg briefly, although he does show up prominently in the film's trailer. But, hey, he's a big enough star now that the filmmakers have to make people interested somehow.
If you're wondering why Eisenberg even got involved in something this misbegotten, blame it on friendship:
According to the lawsuit, filed by Marty Singer, Eisenberg agreed to perform for one day at minimal compensation (about $3,000) as a favor to friends, who were producing and directing the low budget film.
That happened in 2007, before Eisenberg garnered an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Social Network ....
Eisenberg's own friends allegedly couldn't resist the temptation of using the actor's newfound fame to advertise Camp Hell.
Eisenberg wants $3 million in damages, which is supposedly around the total budget of the horror flick.
We get why Eisenberg would be annoyed. If he's barely in "Camp Hell," he doesn't want to be shackled to it for the rest of his life. But we do hope he's learned an important acting lesson, which is to be really careful who your filmmaking friends are. And one other thing: Does Eisenberg understand just how many people are now going to be aware of "Camp Hell" simply because of this lawsuit? Probably more than ever saw "Camp Hell" in the first place.
