Glee Producer Sues Series Co-Creator Over Compensation

[Brian Damage]

Glee producer Michael Novick is suing co-creator and executive producer Ian Brennan, claiming that Brennan failed to honor a compensation agreement made regarding the hit Fox musical, TMZ reports.

In the suit, Novick claims that Brennan, his former friend, developed a concept for Glee as a screenplay for a movie, and that he and Brennan agreed to work together to sell the project.

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Novick approached Ryan Murphy about the project at a West Hollywood gym, and Murphy loved it, saying it would make a better TV show than a film. According to the suit, Murphy then pitched the show to Fox. When negotiations hit a snag, Brennan asked Novick to accept a lower fee and lesser credit. Novick claims Brennan promised him 15 percent of any back-end compensation Brennan would receive in exchange for accepting a lower credit.

Novick took the lesser credit — he's billed as a producer -- but says he hasn't received what was promised to him by Brennan. He is suing for unspecified damages.

Before Glee, Novick co-starred in the 2006 film Flourish, starring Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer and Leighton Meester.

Fox Network and 20th Century Fox Television had no comment.

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