Michael Jackson has been dragged to a Los Angeles court by a veteran Hollywood director,who accused the 'King of Pop' of failing to pay him royalties for the iconic Thriller video. Jackson has been slapped with a breach-of-contract lawsuit by John Landis,who alleged that he has not been paid his share of the profits from the Thriller video for at least four years,entertainment website The Wrap reported. The suit comes at a time when the 'Black or White' singer had announced recently that he was working on a stage musical based on his 1982 chartbuster collection 'Thriller' with the theatrical group Nederlander. The case was filed against Jackson's company,Optimum Productions,for breach of contract in Los Angeles Superior Court last week by the acclaimed director,who co-wrote and directed the 14-minute video of Thriller in 1983. The alleged papers have since been reproduced on the entertainment website. The alleged writ states: "After a spectacular theatrical premier,the Thriller Video became a worldwide mega-hit and an iconic pop culture phenomenon that has continued to generate profits for defendants Optimum Productions and Michael Jackson,who have wrongfully refused to pay or account for such profits to the plaintiff." The case could be the latest in a long string of legal embarrassments for Jackson. Jackson,who has been spotted around Los Angeles in a hood and surgical mask,is attempting to pick up the pieces of his shattered career three and a half years after his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges in Santa Maria. Last year,the reclusive singer had reportedly settled a private arbitration with the Sultan of Brunei over a contract believed to involve Jackson agreeing to perform and offer a percentage of rights to future projects in exchange for payment of several million dollars.
