The lawsuit against Paramount Pictures claims that Jones was promised "significant box-office bonuses" and other compensation depending on the success of the film, which went on to take in more than 160 million dollars at the box office.

The movie, which is set in Texas and is based on a critically acclaimed Cormac McCarthy novel, scooped four Academy awards, including best picture.

No-one from Paramount was immediately available for comment. Jones declined to comment through his publicist, Jennifer Allen, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

"The paperwork stands for itself," Ms Allen said.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Bexar County in San Antonio. Netherlands-based NM Classics Inc, a Paramount subsidiary, is also named in the lawsuit.

Jones, who played Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in the film, claims he was not paid promised bonuses and had expenses wrongly deducted.

The lawsuit says Jones was paid a reduced upfront fee in joining the film, and that his contract had known errors not corrected before the movie was made.

The 61-year-old star is asking that an auditor be named to review financial records to determine how much he should be paid.