LITIGATION The Battle Of Burbank

More than most industries, the movie business is dependent on the creative talents of a few top people. That is the basis for a feud that has broken out on the sprawling Burbank, Calif., studio lot that Columbia Pictures shares with Warner Bros. Friction between the neighbors began last month when Japan’s Sony agreed to buy Columbia for $3.4 billion and made plans to hire hit-making producers Peter Guber and Jon Peters (Rain Man, Batman) to run the studio. But the two men had signed an exclusive five-year deal to make movies for rival Warner. The two sides tried to negotiate a settlement, but last week both filed major lawsuits. Warner wants $1 billion for the loss of Guber and Peters, while Sony rejects Warner’s claims and is asking for $100 million.