Netflix Sued by Another Self-Published Author Who Claims ‘Don’t Look Up’ Stole His Idea
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer One more, and it’s a trend. A second self-published author sued Netflix on Thursday for copyright infringement over “Don’t Look Up,” the 2021 Adam McKay film about a planet-destroying comet.
Darren Hunter, of Harleysville, Pa., claims that the film stole plot, character and thematic elements from his novel “The Million Day Forecast,” which he self-published in 2015.
The suit comes one year after William Collier, of Lafayette Parish, La., filed a similar complaint, alleging that the film was actually based on his 2012 self-published novel, “Stanley’s Comet.” A federal judge dismissed that suit last month, finding that any similarities were too generic to warrant copyright protection.
In the new lawsuit, attorney Larry Klayman is seeking more than $3 billion in damages. In a statement, Klayman blasted McKay and his collaborators for their “deceit and greed,” which he said “is unfortunate testament to the current state of some in Hollywood.” The suit was filed Thursday in state court in Orlando, Fla.
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