Peters-McDaniel Movie Lawsuit: Superman Note and Settlement

The Jon Peters Superman lawsuit was a 2016 breach-of-agreement case brought by the Hollywood producer’s ex-wife, Mindy Peters, in Los Angeles Superior Court. She sued to enforce a handwritten Christmas Eve note in which Peters promised her 10 percent of his earnings from upcoming Superman films. The case settled about three months after it was filed, with no financial terms disclosed.

The Handwritten Note at the Center of the Case

On December 24, 2007, while the couple was living together after a reconciliation, Jon Peters gave Mindy Peters a note that the lawsuit later attached as an exhibit. It read: “Dear Mindy I love you with all my heart and have for 14 years. You are my best friend and my partner. Therefore, I want you to have 10% of my take of Superman 2-3-4. I give you all my love. Love JP.”¹

Mindy Peters treated the note as a completed gift agreement rather than a casual promise, alleging she had relied on it in continuing as Peters’ companion and homemaker.² The two first met in May 1994, married in 2001, divorced in 2004, resumed the relationship in 2006, and separated for good in November 2009.¹

What Mindy Peters Alleged

The complaint was filed on April 11, 2016, asserting claims for breach of a completed gift and unjust enrichment.² She identified three films as covered by the note: Man of Steel (2013), Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and a then-unmade third installment.³

According to the complaint, Jon Peters started receiving profit distributions from Man of Steel in 2014 but hid that income from her and never paid her share.⁴ The Hollywood Reporter reported she claimed she was owed in excess of $500,000.¹

The suit went beyond the film profits. Mindy Peters alleged that starting in August 2011, Jon Peters leased a Beverly Hills property from her at $20,000 per month but regularly paid only half. She also claimed that when he moved out in February 2014, he took artwork and other personal items valued at more than $500,000.⁴

Why 10 Percent of Peters’ Superman Take Was Worth Fighting Over

Peters held lucrative contractual rights to the Superman franchise dating back decades. On the 2006 film Superman Returns, he received a full producer credit and a first-dollar gross deal that reportedly netted him around $7 million on $391 million in worldwide box office.⁵

When Warner Bros. rebooted the franchise with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013, Peters had no active role in the production. The studio initially argued the reboot was a new project rather than a remake, which would have sidestepped his contract, but ultimately conceded. Peters received an executive producer credit and a deal granting him five percent of the studio’s gross receipts.⁵ Reports at the time estimated his payout at between $10 million and $15 million. Peters himself later told the Hollywood Reporter he earned $80 million to $85 million combined from Superman Returns and Man of Steel, and said he held a 7.5 percent gross participation stake in the Superman films.⁶

If the handwritten note was enforceable, 10 percent of that stream was a serious number. That helps explain both the filing and how quickly the matter resolved.

How the Case Ended

The suit never reached trial. A notice of settlement was filed on July 28, 2016, before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Barbara Scheper. The financial terms were not disclosed.³

1
Hollywood Reporter. Superman Producer Jon Peters Sued by Ex-Wife Over Profit Splits
2
Patch. Superman Producer Not So Super Sharing Profits, Ex-Wife Alleges
3
MyNewsLA. Superman Producer Jon Peters, Ex-Wife Settle Lawsuit Over Film Profits
4
New York Daily News. Hollywood Producer Jon Peters Sued by Ex-Wife Over Superman Profit Splits He Promised as Christmas Gift
5
Hollywood Reporter. Man of Steel: How Jon Peters Earned His Payday
6
Hollywood Reporter. The Reclusive, Outrageous Jon Peters Is Still Rich, Rich