The CEO of a recently launched film production company called Voltron Global Productions and his former business partner are in the process of settling a lawsuit that has lasted more than a year.
Ozzie Areu, former president of Tyler Perry Studios, initiated a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court against financier Steve Greenberg – whose company Voltron Global recently launched its own movie production arm – in April of 2022. Voltron Global Productions operates Pangea Studios, which was initially bought by Areu and his brother Will Areu in late 2018. The Areu brothers launched what was then called Areu Studios, but in 2020 the studio filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
After that filing, Ozzie Areu went into business with financier Steven Greenberg to try and get the studio out of financial trouble. According to the April 2022 complaint, under their agreement, Greenberg Georgia Film and TV Studio Holdings would own 80% of the studio under the name of Greenberg Georgia. Oz Media, a company owned by Areu, would own the other 20%.
The April complaint alleges that Greenberg engaged in “self-dealing” and the misappropriation of funds. In a more detailed complaint filed in November of 2022, in a separate case filed in Fulton County Superior Court, Areu alleges that those self-dealings include payments to Greenberg personally; payments to Greenberg’s separate business ventures and employees of those businesses; purchases of luxury goods and services, including private chefs and hotels; and personal payments such as Venmo transfers and cell phone bills. Areu, who was fired from his role as CEO of Greenberg Georgia in February of 2022, also alleges that his termination was a result of sending Greenberg a letter asking about the alleged misdealings.
The Fulton County Superior Court Case that began in April was removed to Georgia Statewide Business Court in May of 2022. According to one of Greenberg’s attorneys, John Christy, as well as a court order to extend deadlines to allow the parties to come to a settlement, the parties are expected to soon resolve the dispute. Christy stated that all cases and counterclaims would soon be dismissed.
Greenberg has denied these allegations in various court documents. As of the publication of this article, no update has been made in the court case docket online about the resolution of this case. Areu’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
In June of this year, Greenberg filed his own lawsuit against Areu. In a June 15 complaint filed in Cobb County Superior Court, Greenberg alleges that Areu caused him to be arrested under false pretenses, interfered with business dealings with Greenberg’s company Voltron Global, and subjected Greenberg to defamatory statements.
In the complaint, Greenberg alleges that in September of 2022 Areu called the police accusing Greenberg of making death threats against him to a third party. In October of 2022, Areu filed an application for a temporary restraining order against Greenberg in Georgia Statewide Business Court. A consent order was agreed to by both parties in November.
Areu also filed two petitions for a stalking temporary protective order in Cobb County Superior Court, one in September and one in October of 2022. Both were dismissed by Nov. 16, 2022.
According to an incident report from the Atlanta Police Department, Areu called the police on Dec. 2, 2022 to give notice of a “possible wanted person.” Police arrested Greenberg at the studio based on a warrant that stated he was wanted for “intimidation.” According to Greenberg’s complaint, the warrant was based on Areu’s September statements to the police, and at the bond hearing, the court threw out the warrant due to lack of probable cause.
Greenberg alleges that while he was in custody, Areu and other unnamed defendants coordinated to tell third parties that Greenberg was arrested for violating the Cobb County restraining order that at that time had been dismissed. According to the complaint, at the time Voltron Global was in the midst of a deal to acquire Red Studios Hollywood, a movie studio in California. Greenberg alleges that Areu informed Red Studios’ management about Greenberg’s arrest and the deal collapsed.
Red Studios Hollywood did not respond to requests for comment.
Greenberg’s attorney in the Cobb County Superior Court Case did not respond to requests for comment.