Mario Puzo's heirs sue Paramount over 'Godfather' game

Taking it to the legal mattresses, Mario Puzo's estate filed a $1-million lawsuit today against Paramount Pictures for allegedly cheating "The Godfather" author's heirs out of proceeds from a Corleone-inspired video game.

According to the suit, Paramount and Puzo, who died in 1999, agreed that he would receive a "significant share" of "audiovisual" products derived from his Mafia saga. Puzo's son and executor, Anthony, contends in the suit that "The Godfather" video game is covered by the deal because it includes characters from the films.

"You hear them. You see them. That's audiovisual to me," said the estate's lawyer, Bert Fields.

Paramount declined to comment.

-- Harriet Ryan