December 2, 2011 10:44

Jesse Eisenberg suing film company over "deceiving and misleading" fans

The actor is being used to promote horror flick 'Camp Hell' despite only making a cameo

Jesse Eisenberg is suing the distributors of a 2007 horror film he appeared in, accusing them of cashing in on his fame.

The Social Network star made a brief cameo in the low-budget movie Camp Hell as a favour to friends who were producing and directing, and was paid just $3,000 (£1,900) for his services.

He now says that Lionsgate and Grindstone are attempting to "deceive and mislead" viewers over the significance of his role. He is seeking $3 million (£1.9 million), more than the entire budget of the film.

Eisneberg's face takes up almost all of the DVD cover, and his name is written in bold above the title. Legal papers filed in Los Angeles say:

Although Eisenberg appears on screen for less than five minutes, the distributors of Camp Hell are now attempting to fraudulently deceive and mislead the public and reap millions of dollars by capitalising on Eisenberg's newfound fame.

"Eisenberg is bringing this lawsuit in order to warn his fans and the public that, contrary to the manner in which Defendants are advertising the film, Eisenberg is not the star of and not appear in a prominent role in Camp Hell."

The film received a US DVD release in August and opens in UK cinemas tomorrow (December 2).