Iran May Sue Ben Affleck and George Clooney Over 'Argo'

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Ben Affleck knows he disappointed the country of Iran with his portrayal of the country in his Oscar winner, Argo. But after the amazing February he had collecting trophies from every award show in the business, we doubt he ever expected to face a lawsuit from Ahmadinejad & Partners.

According to an Associated Press report Tuesday morning, Iranian media — propaganda versions and otherwise — is abuzz with reports that Iran's government is preparing to sue Hollywood over the "unrealistic portrayal" of Iranians in the Oscar-winning film. Which parts of Hollywood could be sued, exactly, and which officials will be plaintiffs in this international movie tussle, reamin unclear. They could target Warner Brothers, Affleck, or producers George Clooney and his not-as-stunningly-beautiful producing partner Grant Heslov. But chances are that if the suit happens, Iran will target all of the big names at the same time and make a pretty big deal out of it by whatever means possible.

The Argo-as-propaganda propaganda ratcheted up after Iranian officials held their first official screening of Argo on Monday evening, at a gathering called "the Hoax of Hollywood." While Monday's event was the first official screening, most Iranians have already seen the movie, which is banned in the country for its depiction of the Iran hostage crisis from 1979 to 1981, thanks to a booming bootleg market.

This isn't the first time Iranian media has lit up with criticism over Argo, either. There have been more measured criticisms of the film from Iranians, like this Guardian editorial from Saeed Kamali Dehghan about the difficulties he had watching the film. But the Iranian government has always taken things up a notch or five. In February, shortly after Argo was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture, Iranian media became furious with the decision — and especially that Michelle Obama was involved. "In a rare occasion in Oscar history, the first lady announced the winner for Best Picture for the anti-Iran film Argo, which is produced by the Zionist company Warner Bros," Iran's hardline Fars News wrote.

But Affleck has mostly fought back against any displeasure from the Iranian government. "It feels as though history has quite literally repeated itself in that sense, and it’s repeating itself with our relationship with the regime in Iran," Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter in October. "And it’s the same regime, it was Khomeni, now it's Khamenei — there's still this Islamist, this Stalinist regime, and that makes me sad. That makes me feel like, yeah, we had this wonderful thing that happened in our movie, where America really did something right, but that we haven't figured out how to navigate our relationship with countries in the Middle East."

Iran is already speaking with a high-profile attorney about possible next steps. Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, who is best known for representing and being engaged to Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (a.k.a. "Carlos the Jackal"), has been discussing the potential courses of action with the Iranian government. She tends to take on difficult cases.

Another take on it--interesting that there is no comment yet from Warner Bros but it still might be too early for that. :

Insulted Iran Officials Plan to Sue Over ‘Argo’

Iranian officials are so angered at the way the Oscar-winning film “Argo” portrayed their country, they plan to sue its makers, including director Ben Affleck.
Iran media is reporting today that the government is in talks with French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre to figure out where and how to sue the filmmakers for the movie’s “unrealistic portrayal” of the Islamic republic, according to translations by the Associated Press.
Coutant-Peyre has represented Zacarias Moussaoui, a convicted terrorist who helped plan the September 11 attacks, as well as convicted terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.
The Iranians have taken umbrage with “Argo” since last year’s debut of the film, about a CIA agent who spirits out six Americans from Tehran following the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Various state-controlled news agencies have labeled the film “anti-Iranian” and “un-Islamic” and called its portrayal of events “ahistoric.”
Iranian authorities held a closed screening of the film this week at a conference called “The Hoax of Hollywood.” The film has not been approved by the country’s culture authorities for the public, but bootleg DVD copies can be readily purchased on the streets of Tehran.
Following the meeting, cultural authorities released a statement calling “Argo” a “violation of international cultural norms,” according to Shargh daily newspaper and the AP.
“Awarding an anti-Iran movie is a propaganda attack against our nation and entire humanity,” the committee said in response to the film’s Best Picture Oscar, received at February’s Academy Awards.
Iran has a vibrant film scene, but it is strictly controlled by the government. In September Iran submitted a film “A Cube of Sugar” for Oscar consideration, but shortly after said it would boycott the Academy Awards in retaliation for the anti-Muslim YouTube video “Innocence of Muslims.” “A Cube of Sugar” was not, however, nominated for an award.
A spokesman for Warner Brother, the company that produced “Argo,” would not comment on any potential lawsuit.

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I can understand there is no comment from anyone, who has to come out with their own name.
These people are so scary. You can´t negotiate with them, they are living in dark ages.

yep

they are scary

and they are living in dark ages

but they waited until now

months after the release and weeks
after the O's

they've watched the movie a little bit late ?

or it fits in their plans now ?

mmm
interesting point of view

If the movie bombed, received very little press or awards, then this would probably not even be an issue. just a thought.

Nah, it's a bit of posturing and drum beating for the sake of saving face. They haven't got a leg to stand on.