GUY PEARCE - PEARCE STUNS WITH FOUR LETTER OUTBURST

Hollywood hunk GUY PEARCE stunned the crowd at a junket for his latest movie recently - by calling the executive producer a "c**t", reports American gossip site THE SCOOP.

It's claimed the LA CONFIDENTIAL star blames the unnamed producer for delays in releasing A SLIPPING DOWN LIFE, which premiered at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL five years ago (99).

A source tells The Scoop, "He said it in front of a room full of people. There was an audible gasp.

"Several distributors were interested in buying it, but (the executive producer) was asking a really high price - unrealistically high.

"A lot of people who worked on the film were really excited by it, but by the time it finally got released, it had lost a lot of momentum."

Pearce's representative couldn't be reached for comment, but separately the movie's writer and director TONI KALEM has also complained about her dealings with the film's backers, calling the experience "hellish".