In the glacial world of Hollywood lawsuits, resolution often feels like an elusive dream. Former action star Chuck Norris can attest to that, as he and his company Top Kick Productions embarked on a legal battle against CBS and Sony Pictures back in 2018 over profits from Walker, Texas Ranger and an alleged breach of contract. Now, in 2023, the case has finally come to a close, but the outcome remains somewhat enigmatic.
The initial lawsuit, filed in February 2018, sought a hefty $30 million payout for Top Kick Productions, claiming that CBS and Sony had violated a contract clause that entitled the company and Chuck Norris to 23% of the profits earned from any exploitation of Walker, Texas Ranger, including streaming deals and home entertainment sales. After going into arbitration in 2019, Sony was dropped as a defendant in 2022, but since then, the case has been shrouded in silence—until now.
On July 24, a judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court dismissed the case after both parties agreed to a resolution through an out-of-court settlement. However, specific details about the settlement remain undisclosed.
While the reasons that led to the settlement are not entirely clear, it was reported that Chuck Norris’ attorney filed a request for the case to be “dismissed with prejudice” on July 21, barring any future attempts at the same suit.
In the original complaints, Top Kick and Chuck Norris alleged that CBS distributed and marketed Walker, Texas Ranger internationally in a manner that evaded paying the actor and producer their rightful share of the profits. They claimed that CBS opted for non-traditional routes to promote the show, focusing on streaming and SVOD services owned by the company instead of traditional syndication and DVD releases. Norris claimed to have received no compensation from SVOD revenue since 2004, and Top Kick alleged that it was denied access to Sony’s financial statements.
With Walker, Texas Ranger reportedly generating over $692 million in revenue, it’s no surprise that Norris and Top Kick fought hard to obtain their rightful portion. For Norris to agree to a settlement, CBS must have made a compelling offer to bring the lengthy lawsuit to a close. However, without further information being made public, the exact details remain unknown.
During the course of the lawsuit, CBS underwent several corporate changes, from being a Viacom company to ViacomCBS and now Paramount Global. In the meantime, The CW premiered a reboot of Walker, featuring Supernatural alum Jared Padalecki in the iconic role that Norris made famous. The network also ordered a spinoff titled Walker: Independence, which, unfortunately, was later canceled after The CW’s acquisition by Nexstar Media. Nonetheless, Padalecki’s series survived the upheaval and secured a fourth season renewal.
While Chuck Norris’ legal battle has finally concluded, fans may never know all the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to this resolution. For now, the wheels of progress continue to turn in Hollywood, and the legacy of Walker, Texas Ranger will live on, both in the courtroom and on screen.
