Studio sues Greek Wedding star

Hanks and Wilson own The Playtone Company

The studio behind My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which grossed more than $600m (£360m) last year, is suing the film's star and co-producer Tom Hanks.

MPH Entertainment, which first bought the script for the hit comedy, is seeking damages from Nia Vardalos, upon whose stand-up comedy performance the film was based on.

Also named in the suit are The Playtone Company, which is owned by Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, TV network HBO and Gold Circle Films.

MPH partners Jim Milio, Melissa Jo Peltier and Mark Hufnail filed the suit at Los Angeles Superior Court, on saying they have not received a penny from the film's profits.

The suit also said an accounting statement sent to them by their co-producers showed the film lost $20m (£12m).

The company's involvement began in 1997 when the MPH partners met Vardalos and bought her script of My Big Fat Greek Wedding for $60,000 (£37,000).

Hanks and his wife Wilson saw Vardalos using her script material on stage a year later and brought in HBO and Gold Circle Films to make the film.

'Ludicrous'

MPH agreed to take a smaller share of the profits but says it insisted on receiving $200,000 (£120,000) and a credit as "an active producer...of the picture".

The film, starring Nia Vardalos, cost $5m (£3m) to make

It is now demanding more than $20m (£12m) in damages and compensation, as well as an independent accounting of the film's box office and video/DVD profits.

Gold Circle denied the claims in a statement.

"We haven't seen the complaint but we stand by the integrity of our accounting. It's ludicrous to suggest that this film will not be profitable. MPH Entertainment will see their appropriate participation in due course," the company said.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding started life as Vardalos' one-woman stand-up performance, based on her own life as a Greek marrying a non-Greek.

The film cost just $5m ($3m) to make - a very small amount by Hollywood standards - but became the surprise film hit of 2002, and won the People's Choice Award for best comedy.

A TV sitcom based on the film aired in the US earlier this year but received poor reviews.