Writer says Blomkamp stole his story
South African-born director Neill Blomkamp is being sued by screenwriter Steve Wilson Briggs, who claims that he got his idea for blockbuster sci-fi film 'Elysium' from Briggs' script called 'Butterfly Driver'.
Neill Blomkamp. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Briggs on Tuesday filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Sony Pictures, TriStar pictures, Media Rights Capital, QED International, and Blomkamp.
According to The Wrap website, Briggs lists numerous similarities between ‘Butterfly Driver’ and ‘Elysium’, including the “plot, characters, unusual settings, themes, conflict, catalyst, crisis, climax-twist”, plus the protagonist’s unique “character-affiliation” and even his “keepsake necklace”.
The screenwriter claims that Blomkamp could easily have read and stole the ideas in the script, which he posted to Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti’s screenwriting website, TriggerStreet.com, early in 2007.
Currently a high school teacher in California, Briggs’ only credit on IMDb is as writer, director, and producer of a low-budget independent film called ‘The Amazing Mr. Excellent’.
-TeamTalk
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