'Modern Family' Negotiations Break Down, Cast Sues

Looks like there's a bit of a family feud going on with the cast of "Modern Family." As we reported yesterday, the cast was in contract negotiations with producer 20th Television to continue on with a fourth season, and talks seemed to be a bit rocky.

Well, things have gotten much rockier, and quickly: according to THR, talks have broken down entirely and the cast is filing a legal suit to have their contracts voided. The cast is invoking California's "7 Year Rule" in order to nullify their contracts during these negotiations.

With the show earning another 14 Emmy nominations just last week, it's a given that 20th TV will want to keep the show going. That's good news for fans, as they're likely to see "Modern Family" back for a fourth season eventually.

However, the scheduled start for the season was today, with a table read with the full cast on the docket. That has been cancelled with the negotiations still going, and since things seem to be very heated at the moment, we might not see a swift resolution.

In the case of "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," which also had contentious contract negotiations in recent years, the seasons that were supposed to occur were delayed significantly. Hopefully the same won't happen with the much-loved "Modern Family." We'll keep you posted.