Netflix hit 'Don't Look Up' faces new $3M copyright battle
Almost three years have passed since the premiere of "Don't Look Up," and the film still holds the second spot on Netflix's list of biggest hits in history. However, the leading streaming platform's lawyers are now facing challenges, as they are drawn into legal battles because of the movie.
Last month, a federal court in Los Angeles dismissed William Collier's copyright infringement lawsuit, which accused the screenwriters of "Don't Look Up." The judge explained that any similarities are too general and that there are no legal grounds for the claims. Is this the end of the story? Perhaps for that case, but another lawsuit has surfaced in court.
The new case also concerns copyright infringement. This time, Darren Hunter from Harleysville, Pennsylvania, claims that the plot, characters, and thematic elements of the film were taken from his novel "The Million Day Forecast," which he published in 2015.
In both cases, the lawsuits involve books that were self-published, typically leading to very limited releases. Darren Hunter is demanding $3 million in compensation for the alleged copyright infringement.
"The themes of apocalyptic political satire, dark comedy, and the challenges of mobilizing collective action in the face of imminent danger are central to both works. These undeniable similarities indicate that the movie has taken key literary elements from the book without Plaintiff’s consent and authorization," the lawsuit states.
The writer's lawyer strongly criticized the director and screenwriter of "Don't Look Up," Adam McKay, whose work garnered over 170 million views worldwide and who received two Oscar nominations for the film: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. He accused him of "deceit and greed," which he believes "is unfortunate testament to the current state of some in Hollywood." So far, there has been no response from McKay or the other parties involved in the lawsuit.
