To answer your question about whether Massachusetts requires certain contracts to be in writing, the answer is it depends upon the type of contract. The Massachusetts version of the statute of frauds (i.e. M.G.L. c. 259 §1) provides that certain types of contracts must be in writing. For example, a contract for the sale of real estate must be in writing. The subject contract does not appear to be a contract that is required to be in writing unless it was “an agreement that is not to be performed within one year from the making thereof”. As this contract was not in writing, however, your company and the production company may have some real disagreements over what the “terms of the deal” were. You have a couple of option on how to proceed at this point. You could either: (1) defend the case and possibly bring counterclaims (i.e. for the production companies non-performance), (2) you could try to reach a settlement agreement and payment plan over time, or (3) you could try to mediate and/or arbitrate the case. In determining which option to attempt to pursue, you need to evaluate the viability of your defenses.