'Human Centipede' director sues lead actor

Just before 'The Human Centipede 3' was about to begin production, the franchise's controversial director Tom Six has launched a lawsuit against his lead actor Dieter Laser for dropping out of the sequel despite signing a contract.

'The Human Centipede: Final Sequence' had officially announced that Dieter Laser and Laurence Harvey (no, not the one who was in 'The Manchurian Candidate') would return, but upon receiving the script Laser didn't like it and pulled out.

Six took to his Twitter account to shout: "BREAKING NEWS: MY COMPANY WILL SUE ACTOR DIETER LASER!!! WORLDWIDE PRESS RELEASE WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY".

The press release did indeed follow. Penned by Tom's sister, and co-producer, Ilona Six, it read: "Because of the success of The Human Centipede, it seems that Mr Dieter Laser’s ego has grown to laughably big proportions. First signing the contract and rating the Human Centipede 3 script as fantastic, and then demanding his own unacceptable script changes, and now refusing to play the part only seven weeks prior to shooting.

"Six Entertainment Company will start legal action against Dieter Laser. Tom Six says not to worry; principal photography will be postponed and will take place later this year."

The fighting talk isn't just restricted to the filmmakers' side though. Laser, who shot to fame playing the twisted doctor known for top-and-tail-stitching his victims together, shot back to German site Screen Read.

Laser went into detail: "It’s very simple: I loved the story when I was told it, got the contract and the promise to have the script in four to six weeks.

"When it arrived – half a year later and only after the official announcement – I didn’t like the realization at all, couldn’t identify with the character the way it was written, and developed immediately and enthusiastically, in a day and night marathon, a version full of concrete and practical suggestions which would enable me to play the lead full throttle.

"This is the same procedure as with [the first film's] Dr Heiter, but this time it also would have had some unavoidab'Thle effects to the dramatic structure. That was too much for Tom and since he couldn’t live with my suggestions and I as a method actor couldn’t identify with his version, I told him that I couldn’t see any other way than that he would have to ‘change horses’. That’s it."

'Human Centipede 2' made the press fairly recently when the BBFC flat out refused to even rate the "obscene" film for its UK release. The move probably resulted in more people seeing it illegally. You can read our reporting on it and the BBFC's unexpectedly colourful statement HERE.

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