NEWSJames Cameron Sued for Allegedly Stealing 'Avatar' Idea
Dec. 9 2011, Published 6:45 a.m. ET
James Cameron's former employee has just filed a lawsuit against him claiming the writer/director stole the idea for Avatar from him!
It's a pretty sizable claim considering the huge success of the film, but then again, it's not the first lawsuit against the film for the same reason.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eric Ryder filed the lawsuit in L.A. claiming he wrote a story titled K.R.Z. 2068 in 1999. The story was about a "environmentally-themed 3-D epic about a corporation's colonization and plundering of a distant moon's lush and wondrous natural setting," the complaint states.
Sounds fairly similar!
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Ryder states that he and Lighstorm had an implied agreement that his material wouldn't be exploited by the company unless he was credited and compensated.
He also claims he was told in 2002 the science fiction movie wouldn't be made because it didn't have an audience. Avatar was released in 2009.
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Ryder alleges that James and Lighstorm committed fraud among other allegations and is asking for unspecified damanges.
Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time and made $2.8 billion worldwide.
