Producer De Laurentiis Sues Universal : Entertainment: The Oscar winner alleges that the studio is trying to strong-arm him to obtain distribution rights to the sequel to the film ‘Silence of the Lambs.’

Dino De Laurentiis, the Oscar-winning yet financially beleaguered producer, is embroiled in a legal dispute with a major Hollywood studio over distribution rights to a sequel of the acclaimed film, “Silence of the Lambs.”

On Friday, De Laurentiis sued Universal Pictures, alleging that the studio has tried to “extort” from him the distribution rights to the as-yet-unmade film.

De Laurentiis, 71, is seeking to sever his contract with Universal for distribution of another film, due to be completed this spring.

Representatives of Universal were unable to be reached for comment Friday.

The lawsuit portrays Universal as part of a seven-studio “oligopoly” that wields financial control over independent producers. The suit does not name other studios.

Hollywood has seven major studios: Universal, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures/Tri-Star, Walt Disney, Paramount, MGM and 20th Century Fox.

Universal’s parent firm is MCA, purchased in 1990 by Japan-based Matsushita Electric Industrial Corp. for $6.6 billion.

The suit is another example of the financial controversy that has dogged De Laurentiis’ projects.

In 1988, his former production company sought bankruptcy court protection. According to the lawsuit he filed Friday, he has more than $13 million of his own money tied up in the current movie project with Universal.

De Laurentiis’ suit says Universal executives have contended that the producer orally granted the studio rights to the “Silence of the Lambs” sequel in exchange for concessions on distribution of the current film project, a fable called “Army of Darkness.”

De Laurentiis asserts that Universal executives, including Chairman Thomas Pollock, sought to leverage their control of the distribution of “Army of Darkness” to win rights to the “Silence of the Lambs” sequel. Neither Pollock nor any other Universal executive is named as a defendant.

According to the lawsuit, Universal has demanded that De Laurentiis complete production of “Army of Darkness” by March 27, a deadline the producer contends is unreasonable.

“Universal has unilaterally required an arbitrary delivery date that it knows De Laurentiis cannot meet,” the lawsuit states.

De Laurentiis contends that he is not required to complete the film until May. Without that later deadline, the suit states, he stands to lose more than $13 million that he borrowed from “a major bank.”

De Laurentiis’ attorney, Pierce O’Donnell, said the suit reflects an emboldened mood among independent producers and others whose ability to complete successful film projects hinges on contracts with the major studios.

“People are standing up,” O’Donnell said. “There is more of a willingness for creative talents to stand up and protect their rights.”

O’Donnell also represents Art Buchwald, the satirist who successfully sued Paramount over his share of profits from the hit movie, “Coming to America.”

A native of Italy, De Laurentiis emigrated to the United States in 1972. Although he has been criticized for making a number of high-budget flops, he has had critical and box-office success. Among his more popular films have been “Serpico,” “Ragtime” and “Three Days of the Condor.”

De Laurentiis won Academy Awards for two foreign films, “La Strada” in 1956 and “Nights of Caberia” in 1957.