G.I. Joe writers sue over film’s sequel
THE WRITERS of ‘G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ are suing Paramount and MGM over the fi lm’s sequel.
David Elliot and Paul Lovett, two of the co-writers on the 2009 original movie, have fi led a US$ 23 million lawsuit against the fi lm studios, as well as toy maker Hasbro and producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, for allegedly stealing the basis for this year’s hit follow-up ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’.
The pair claim they were solicited to present ideas for a proposed sequel just prior to the release of the 2009 action movie starring Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but after pitching an extensive number of ideas, were told the studio had opted for different writers.
However, following the fi lm’s release earlier this year, Elliot and Lovett allege they have noticed many of their concepts in the fi lm which were used without credit or compensation.
They contend in the lawsuit, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, that “nearly every aspect of the Joe Retaliation Movie, from the beginning to the end” features their work and provide side-by- side comparison of the similarities.
The suit continues: “Even the most cursory review of the Joe Retaliation Movie and the Plaintiffs’ Work reveals that they are substantially similar in every material way. While Plaintiffs make no claims to the elements of the Joe Retaliation Movie that are subject to Hasbro’s pre- existing copyrights in the G.I. Joe characters, Plaintiffs take great issue with those elements of the Joe Retaliation Movie that are the expression of Plaintiffs’ personal creativity and Plaintiffs’ unique creation of Plaintiffs’ Proposed Sequel that were not part of the Joe Cobra Movie and that were not scenes a faire of the genre.”
‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ — which starred Dwayne ‘ The Rock’ Johnson and was directed by Jon M. Chu — has grossed more than US$ 300 million since its release in March.
Elliot and Lovett are seeking US$ 20 million in actual damages and US$ 3 million in compensatory damages. — BANG Showbiz