Top 10 Movies Accused of Plagiarism
It's said that good artists borrow from others, and great artists steal, but that may not justify these movies, which have been accused to copying and ripping off ideas of other films and people! WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Movies Accused of Plagiarism! But what will take the top spot on our list? Will it be A Fistful of Dollars, Avatar, or Lockout? Watch to find out!
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#10: “The Terminator” (1984)
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Harlan Ellison is one of the most prolific writers in the industry, having written short stories, novels, screenplays for movies, and T.V. shows. He’s also one of the most litigious. He has claimed that movies or television shows have stolen his ideas on a number of occasions. For example, Ellison had written an episode of “The Outer Limits” about a robot from the future that looks human and must travel back in time. This was the basis for his suit against Orion Pictures for “The Terminator”, which ultimately resulted in the studio settling and giving him credit in subsequent prints.
#9: “The Lion King” (1994)
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A young lion cub must journey back home to avenge his father and become king of the jungle. Do you think we’re talking about “The Lion King?” Nope, we’re describing the Japanese animated series, “Kimba the White Lion.” The original manga was created by legendary animator Osamu Tezuka, known for such masterpieces as “Astro Boy” and “Metropolis.” Tezuka was actually friends with Walt Disney in the 1960s. A diary entry even indicates that Disney asked Tezuka to help with a sci-fi project. While nothing apparently came of this, it’s quite plausible that Tezuka’s creation of Kimba was the inspiration for Simba.
#8: “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989)
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Author of multiple plays that went to Broadway, Henry Denker claimed his novel and play, “Horowitz and Mrs. Washington,” about an old Jewish man and his black physical therapist, was copied by the makers of “Driving Miss Daisy.” Alfred Uhry, the writer of the stage play turned Oscar-winning film, argued that his work couldn’t have been plagiarism since it was based on his own family's experiences. The courts agreed, ultimately ruling that the only similarities were an elderly Jewish person and an African-American employee. This resulted in the case’s dismissal.
#7: “Jingle All the Way” (1996)
No idea is safe in Hollywood, and this is an example of that. Biology teacher Brian Webster claimed that Murray Hill Publishing, to which he had sold the film rights, had sent a script to 20th Century Fox, but received no reply. He alleged that “Jingle All the Way” contained 36 different items of similarity to his script and was therefore a copy of his work. A jury awarded them almost $19 million dollars in damages and legal fees, although Murray Hill President Bob Laurel died before he got to see a cent of that money. Fox appealed and the damages were reduced significantly, with the judge citing the fact that that the script for “Jingle All the Way” was bought before Webster’s version had been read by Fox.
#6: “Zootopia” (2016)
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Gary L. Goldman is a famous Hollywood screenwriter known for works like “Total Recall” and “Big Trouble in Little China.” On separate occasions, he had apparently pitched a story to Disney that bore a strong resemblance to what would become “Zootopia.” The word “Zootopia” was even used in the concept pitch. Plus, Goldman’s pitches included illustrations that shared some features with the movie. His suit also alleged that Disney had a long track record of copying the work of others. “Zootopia” grossed over $1 billion dollars, putting a lot of money on the line, but Disney asserts that the lawsuit is riddled with false allegations and the suit was tossed out in June 2017 due to lack of evidence.
#5: “Ted” (2012)
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Seth MacFarlane was sued by Bengal Mangle Productions over “Ted,” which is a movie about a dirty talking teddy bear that drinks and sleeps with prostitutes. They claimed the movie was a rip-off of their work about a teddy bear named Charlie, who had similar characteristics. Charlie has been featured in YouTube videos since 2009. However, they eventually dropped their lawsuit, believing that MacFarlane had sufficiently proved that he created Ted on his own. We guess this is one of those cases where great minds simply think alike.
#4: “Frozen” (2013)
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Again, a Disney movie appears on our list. While “Frozen” takes much of its plot, theme, and character points from a story called “The Snow Queen,” it also appears to bear resemblance to Kelly Wilson’s animated short, “The Snowman.” In fact, even the trailer for “Frozen” seemed to share several similarities with Wilson’s film. Both center on a snowman that loses his nose and gets mixed up in other wacky shenanigans. On two occasions, Disney tried to have the lawsuit brought against them thrown out, but Wilson wouldn’t let it go. Thus, Disney decided to settle out of court.
#3: “Lockout” (2012)
For this entry, we have a sci-fi movie about a CIA agent named Snow who rescues the President’s daughter and escapes from an orbital prison. French filmmaker Luc Besson, known for directing “Leon: The Professional” and “The Fifth Element,” co-wrote the screenplay. It is very similar to John Carpenter’s movie “Escape from New York,” about a man named Snake who must escape a futuristic prison under similar circumstances. Carpenter ultimately won his lawsuit, with a subsequent appeal by Besson increasing the damages owed to him - meaning there likely won’t be a sequel to “Lockout.”
#2: “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964)
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This movie is about a quiet loner with major fighting skills who finds himself between two warring families in a small, dust-ridden town. “Yojimbo” is about a silent but deadly samurai who takes on two warring clans. Yeah, we noticed the similarities too. Legendary director Akira Kurosawa allegedly claimed that Sergio Leone, the director of “A Fistful of Dollars,” had ripped him off, saying, “a fine movie, but it was MY movie.” After a suit was filed, the two parties eventually settled by giving Kurosawa $100,000 and 15% of worldwide royalties. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003) - “Rocky” (1976)
#1: “Avatar” (2009)
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Many have argued that James Cameron’s highest-grossing movie of all time is just a knockoff of “Dances with Wolves,” but set in space instead of the American frontier. You could also make the claim that the plot took elements from 1995’s “Pocahontas” and various other “who’s the savage” stories. There have been several other lawsuits revolving around this film’s originality, or lack thereof. Artist William Roger Dean alleged that his art was stolen in the designing of “Avatar.” Sci-fi writer Bryant Moore also claimed that the movie infringed on his copyright. Cameron won both lawsuits. So this prompts us to ask: do these lawsuits mean that the ideas were stolen, or that the “Avatar” simply hit on some universal motifs? You decide.
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