[...]Morgan Creek has signed Fuqua to pay-or-play deal on the film. Essentially, it’s a sign of their commitment to work with Fuqua. The most memorable case of pay-or-play in recent memory belongs to Denzel Washington and “American Gangster.” Universal had signed both Washington and Benicio Del Toro to pay-or-play deals to do the film, but when the studio made a last minute decision to cancel the project, they had to pony up $20 million to Washington and $5 million to Del Toro. Ironically, Fuqua was attached to direct an early incarnation, but that film eventually did get made. Now, would “American Gangster” have ever have lensed had Universal not already paid out $25 million in fees? Who knows, but there may have been a bit more pressure to at least make some good about the dollars they already spent (though yes, a much smaller budget certainly helped greenlight the eventual movie).