🎬 From Cannes to Con: Award-Winning Director Accuses Kit Harington Film Producer of Fraud in Explosive £200K Lawsuit

LONDON — It’s the kind of plot twist usually reserved for the big screen: an acclaimed director, a rising production company, a charismatic Old Etonian, and an alleged fraud that’s rocked the UK indie film world.

Award-winning filmmaker Dekel Berenson — known for Anna (BIFA winner, Cannes nominee) — has filed a £200,000 lawsuit against the production company Paradox House LTD, co-founders Merlin Merton and Greer Ellison, and associate Alex Chang, citing fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract, and unlawful conspiracy.

And this isn’t just about lost money. Berenson claims he was systematically deceived, misled by a polished producer with an aristocratic pedigree and a pitch-perfect backstory — who allegedly siphoned cash, doctored filings, and even faked an investor to secure funding.

Hidden threats within

“These individuals are uninvestable and deeply harmful to the industry,” said Berenson. “They should have no place in the film community.”

🎥 The Setup: Cannes, Cash & A Charming Con

Back in 2019, Merton — best known for producing The Beast Within starring Kit Harington — allegedly persuaded Berenson to invest £50,000 into a new company called Paradox House, trading on Merton’s suave persona and apparent connections to royalty. Literally.

Merton, who goes by Mongkut Merlin Ralph Merton, presented himself as half-Thai nobility, descended from Sir Thomas Merton KBE, the real-life inspiration for MI6’s “Q.” According to the lawsuit, he was all charm, zero substance.

Berenson, impressed by Merton’s ties and pitch, transferred both money and a revenue-generating film location website to the company — in exchange for a 2.5% non-dilutable stake and a share of future profits. But there was one big condition: that another investor was simultaneously putting in £600,000 for a 30% share.

Unseen truths unveiled

That investor never existed.

💸 The Alleged Scam: Ghost Investors & Phantom Loans

For three years, Berenson believed the business was legit. Then, in 2022, the truth unraveled. Court documents reveal Merton allegedly faked the existence of the £600K investor to lure Berenson in — a move that could land him in serious legal and criminal trouble.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

According to the suit, Paradox House:

Unmask the deception

Loaned tens of thousands of pounds to Shuster & Shuster, a shell company controlled by Merton and Ellison — at a jaw-dropping 50% interest rate.

Wrote off those loans in 2023 — effectively paying themselves tax-free money while external shareholders like Berenson got nothing.

Made a £22,000 loan to a dissolved company (Samsara), raising the question: where did that money go, and who pocketed it?

Decipher the hidden truth

Falsified shareholder records and made backdated filings to Companies House, some of which listed investors who deny any knowledge of owning shares.

One twist reads like something out of The Big Short: Shuster & Shuster’s accounts say the loans were written off. Paradox House’s accounts say nothing at all.

🦠 Pandemic Profiteering?

Then there’s the COVID fraud allegation. The company is now on the hook to repay £120,000 to HMRC for illegally claimed furlough money. Berenson says staff were still working while Paradox pocketed taxpayer cash during the pandemic — a serious charge with criminal implications.

⚖️ A Reckoning Ahead

The lawsuit, which is expected to hit court in early 2026, will include witnesses testifying to their own experiences with Paradox House. Berenson is represented by Leverets, a hybrid barrister-solicitor practice.

Meanwhile, Paradox’s founders continue to promote high-profile credits. Merton touts work on Amazon Prime’s How to Date Billy Walsh, while Ellison claims writing credits on BBC’s Hope Street. But if Berenson’s evidence holds up, they could go from scripted drama to real-life court scandal.

🎞️ A Cautionary Tale for the Indie Film World

As streamers pull back, budgets tighten, and filmmakers scramble for funding, Berenson’s lawsuit paints a grim picture of how easily creative professionals can be duped by insiders playing the system.

“The UK film industry is already under pressure,” Berenson said. “Operators like this make it almost impossible to build anything honest.”

With claims of fraud, forgery, and fiscal sleight-of-hand, Paradox House may be one of the most appropriately named companies in recent memory.