Writer Adam Stone is in a race to stop the release of Universal’s “Death Race.”
Stone claims in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court that the upcoming Universal thriller is based on a script he pitched to the film’s producer-director Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt. He seeks a court order stopping the film’s release.
Stone claims that after the producers passed, Bolt made and kept a copy of his screenplay, titled “Joust,” to use as a “blueprint” for Anderson’s revision of the script for “Death Race.”
While “Death Race” is purported to be a remake of the 1975 film, “Death Race 2000,” Stone contends in his lawsuit that it actually is based on “Joust” and that there are at least 39 elements in the soon-to-be released film that mirror his screenplay.
Universal, which is a defendant in the lawsuit, declined comment on the lawsuit.
“Death Race,” which stars Jason Statham and Joan Allen, is set for release FridayAug. 22. Stone is asking the court to stop the release of the film.
“Experience in other cases has shown that unless such orders are issued, defendants will simply continue to exploit the infringing motion picture in all media and by all methods at their disposal,” the lawsuit states.
Stone seeks unspecified damages. [thr]
