‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ Adaptation Sparks Breach of Contract Lawsuit Over Film Rights
Producer Marisa Polvino has sued former partners and entertainment companies over the film rights to Viktor Frankl’s *Man’s Search for Meaning*. She alleges they pushed her and her production company, OLF Productions, out of the adaptation and continued developing it without her; the case could determine who controls the project and its development work.
The complaint, filed in a California federal court, names producer Kate Cohen, Anthony Robbins, MarVista Entertainment and its parent, Fox Entertainment. Polvino and Cohen acquired the book’s film rights from Frankl’s estate in 2016. After MarVista joined in 2024 under a deal that included a $300,000 development fund, shared approval rights and profit participation, Polvino alleges funds and project assets were diverted, and that Robbins acquired the rights after they expired that year. She seeks restoration of her rights and unspecified damages; the allegations have not been established in court.
In short
- Marisa Polvino is suing over the film adaptation’s rights.
- The dispute centres on alleged diversion of rights and development assets.
- The 2024 financing agreement included a $300,000 development fund.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Polvino’s case is that she helped secure the adaptation rights and entered a later arrangement that gave her company approval rights and a share in profits, so excluding her while continuing to develop the film would breach those commitments. If project funds or assets were diverted as alleged, restoring her role and compensating her could protect both her contractual interests and confidence in fair collaboration.
The case against
The other parties could argue that the rights and development arrangements were governed by specific terms, including an expiry date, and that their actions complied with those terms. They may also dispute Polvino’s account of how funds, assets and decision-making were handled, and argue that the project should proceed under whoever validly holds the rights; the court has yet to test either account.
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