Netflix sued again over 'Don't Look Up;' author seeks $3B
What's the story
Netflix is staring at another lawsuit over its 2021 film, Don't Look Up, directed by Adam McKay.
The plaintiff, Darren Hunter—a self-published author from Harleysville, Pennsylvania—accused the streaming giant of copyright infringement.
He claimed the movie borrowed plot elements and characters from his 2015 novel The Million Day Forecast without his consent.
This lawsuit comes after a similar claim last year by another self-published author, William Collier.
Case details
Hunter's lawsuit highlights similarities between film and novel
Hunter's lawsuit, which was filed in a state court in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, seeks over $3 billion in damages.
The complaint details several alleged similarities between The Million Day Forecast and Don't Look Up.
Both stories have young female protagonists who are responsible for warning humanity about an impending disaster.
"The themes of apocalyptic political satire, dark comedy, and the challenges of mobilizing collective action...are central to both works," the lawsuit states.
Past litigation
Previous lawsuit against Netflix dismissed by federal judge
Notably, this isn't the first time that Netflix has been sued over Don't Look Up. Last year, Collier alleged that the film was based on his 2012 novel Stanley's Comet.
However, a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit last month, ruling that any similarities between the two works were too generic to merit copyright protection.
It remains to be seen how Hunter's case unfolds in light of this precedent.
Novel's journey
Hunter's distribution of novel to entertainment industry highlighted
Hunter's Amazon author page states that he was inspired to write The Million Day Forecast after an encounter with a "strange being" who claimed to be from the Centaurus A galaxy.
The lawsuit also states that he distributed his book to "various individuals and entities within the entertainment industry," including some connected to the filmmakers of Don't Look Up. However, it doesn't specify who they are.
Attorney's troubles
Meanwhile, Hunter's attorney faces potential license suspension
Larry Klayman, the attorney representing Hunter in this lawsuit, is facing a possible two-year suspension of his law license.
The Florida Bar took this action after misconduct findings resulted in his previous suspension in Washington, DC.
Klayman is appealing the case to the Florida Supreme Court.
His involvement in Hunter's lawsuit against Netflix adds another layer of complexity to an already complicated legal battle over copyright infringement claims.