Marc Forstater, the producer who collaborated with Monty Python on their 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, has won a court case against the comedy troupe. The reason behind the lawsuit was that Forstater claimed to have been cheated of royalty fees for the 2005 musical Spamalot, based on the movie.

Michael Palin, Hatchards Bookstore
Michael Palin reportedly made unflattering comments about Forstater.

According to Forstater’s suit, he was only given one fourteenth of the Spamalot royalties, when his contract with the Pythons in fact entitles him to an equal share of the profits of any derivative works as the comedians receive – meaning, one seventh. The high court judge ruled in his favor, entitling him to an as-of-yet unannounced amount of money, though according to Forstater, his cut should be somewhere in the vicinity of $200 000. During the proceedings, the producer firmly stood his ground, though after the case was settled, he did express his regret, speaking to the BBC.

Eric Idle, Monty Python 40th Anniversary Event
So did Eric Idle, apparently.

"I have always been adamant I was correct. I have been proved right - justice has prevailed. There is a sadness, though, about having to face people who were my friends in court," he said. “We have been friends for a long time. Monty Python are an institution. I like the fact that they have apparently joked about the litigation. I still think they are very funny."

Monty Python, Spamalot Curtain Call
Forstater acknowledges that the friendship is now over.