Sued!
Filed under: Film Flickers > Legal Matters
Did Steven Spielberg steal a movie idea from renowned producer and filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock?
A new lawsuit is claiming so.
According to the suit filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court, Spielberg's company, Dreamworks, its parent company, Viacom, and Universal Pictures are being accused of copyright infringement and breach of contract for their movie Disturbia, starring Shia LaBeouf.
The suit claims that no one got permission from the original copyright holders.
Apparently, Disturbia is just too much like Hitchcock's 1954 classic film, Rear Window. That movie was based on Cornell Woolrich's short story Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint , for which Hitchcock and actor James Stewart obtained the motion picture rights to back in 1953 before filming.
The suit, which was filed by the Sheldon Abend Revocable Trust, claims Spielberg did not do the same.
And, according to the lawsuit, "What the defendants have been unwilling to do openly, legitimately and legally, (they) have done surreptitiously, by their back-door use of the Rear Window story without paying compensation."
Disturbia grossed about $80 million at the U.S. box office, so we're guessing they're a little pissed they didn't see any money.
The lawsuit goes on to claim that Disturbia and Rear Window are both "essentially the same" story. They're murder mysteries which deal with spying into a neighbor's home after witnessing some strange behaviors.
It claims that the protagonist in all three of the works behaves "in essentially the same way, interacts with similar characters and the plot unfolds in basically the same way."
Adding that, "In the Disturbia film the defendants purposefully employed immaterial variations or transparent rephrasing to produce essentially the same story as the Rear Window story."
Those are some big claims.
Even some large publications noted the similarities with the New York Times calling it "a kind of adolescent Rear Window."
Reps for Universal and Viacom were not available for comment, though Spielberg's rep declined to comment at all.
[Image via WENN.]
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im back from lunch whats been good on this page
I heard about yesterday….interesting
Who the fuck cares?? I'm still reeling over the {Palin-tology newsweek Cover. I guess she just bumped Britney for Mountain Dew/Cheetos spokeswoman. Well, a job's a job…
THAT is DISTURBING!
old news. everyone called it a "rear window" remake before it was even released. why wait until NOW to sue?
fawk perez you are late i saw this on yahoo yesterday and on tmz
did that mtv vj hit you? cuz you could tell ol boy did not like you
there are no new stories to tell. get over it.
i know that indian/british mtv vj did not like you it was written all over his face lmao he looked scared
Um… ok. We are not missing anything here.
Re: mandzie f baby – nothing!
Re: mandzie f baby – nothing! lammeee
looking like an old hobbit…Frodo's uncle.
It's true! When I first saw disturbia, i thought it was supposed to be based on the other flick; i didn't know he didn;t have permission!
i could tell just by disturbia's commercial that it was a complete copy of rfear window……it took them this long to figure that out??
i thought Disturbia was a loosley based remake of hitchcocks wear window in the first place.
Re: pamalina – Yes, exactly!
Re: Swimstud – LMAO AHHH HOBBIT FUNNY WORD LIKE KINKY
WAIT DOES THIS MEAN THAT RHIANNA IS GOING TO GET SUED FOR NAMEING HER SONG DISTURBIA?
OMG!!! I so didn't think about it but it is the same concept.
Re: kittykittykitty – Who the fuck cares?
I assumed they had bought the rights to the origional movie. It was almost an exact copy of "Rear Window". The main difference was that in the origional Jimmy Stewart couldn't leave his Apt. because of a severly broken leg and in Disturbia he couldn't leave because of a police ankle bracelet, but even that is pretty damn similar.
Re: Big Mama – Echolalaia or a Kibbles n Bit OD…?
Re: 3l$@ – Your so stupid that vj is just British you idiot.
YO PEREZ ~ You left out the fact that DISTURBIA is currently showing on cable TV and in the description it's clearly stated that it's "The modern day remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic REAR WINDOW".
.
Steven Spielberg, Dreamworks, Viacom, and Universal Pictures are ALL pathological liars, unscrupulous crooks and slimy bastards. I wouldn't be surprised if they all weren't registered members of the democratic party also.
Also has anyone found that Robert Schwentke's Flight Plan seems a wee bit too similar to Alfred Hitchocks The Lady Vanishes.
Re: 3l$@ – Here read this you ass!
After spending his teenage years in A&R, and later in Management for a major UK record label, London born and bred Tim Kash made his name by becoming the youngest VJ ever at the channel when hired.
The comparison was painfully obvious. Why did they think no one would notice?
I THOUGHT IT WAS 'OFFICIALLY' A REMAKE OF REAR WINDOW. IT IS PRACTICALLY EXACTLY THE SAME. ONLY CHANGES ARE TO MAKE IT CURRENT AND TEEN FRIENDLY.
If Spielberg wants it, he takes it. He is one of the richest men in the business- he thinks he can do anything. Taking ideas without crediting them to the source is probably something he got from Biden.
"Apparently, Disturbia is just too much like Hitchcock's 1954 classic film, Rear Window."
Well duh. When I had seen that movie I'd pretty much assumed they'd based it off of "Rear Window". The similarities were quite noticeable
Rear window is an amazing movie…and yes disturbia did basically take the entire idea from it. Rear Window is better…it does have the princess herself, grace kelly.
Rear window is wone of my favorite movies and disturbia is practically the same movie. but what strikes me as odd is everyone knew this when disturbia came out I remember all the reviews saying it was an unstated remake of rear window so it makes me wonder why they react now?
I saw Read Window this summer and it is exactly like Disturbia but much better!! Besides everyone already knew it was kind of a remake to rear window anyway, why is he getting sued now?
he is a person who steals other people's material, just like:
Joe Biden or Jessica Seinfeld….highly illegal!
About halfway through watching Disturbia I said to my friend, "I feel like this is a ripoff of Hitchcock's Rear Window." I guess I was right. Sue Spielburg's ass!
Suck it up, jzideck.
Ya got enough matzoh.
That lawsuit is going to fail, yes is kinda similar so what, they didn't sue Fright Night when it came out in the 80's, why they have to sue just now. Besides one is a classic, the other has LaDuche on it and will be forgotten right about 3 months ago. Otherwise they will sue every freaking movie where a murder is observed from a window. This people are stupid if they think they can get away with this.
I always knew it was a remake. Rear Window is my favorite Hitchcock film and the second I saw the trailer I knew how the movie would pan out but I never saw Rear Window credited anywhere. But really, why wait until now? The movie's been on DVD for a while now..
I always thought that Disturbia was MEANT to be a Rear Window remake!!! XD
He should have been sued just for making a movie with that annoying little shit Le Poof!
I agree with everyone, when I saw the commercial, I thought it was obviously Rear Window for teens. Rear Window was the BEST, and I was shocked when I found that Disturbia is good too. I assumed they had an agreement, it was a definite and obvious stolen story!
haha but why wait til now to sue?? o.)
he is guilty! Everyone knew that was a rip-off from the Hitchcock movie.DUH
Re: Gidgie – agree completely! Hitchcock films are the shit!
Well if your going to pin point this movie as a copy then you have to look back at the 1989 movie "The Burbs" with tom hanks and call it a copy of "Rear Window" too! Its just like Disturbia, but instead of the kids snooping around its the Neighbours themselves.
Thats crazy, I watch rear window at least once a week (along with the birdcage) with my boyfriend and we watch disturbia sometimes too, we made that connection a long time ago… but i mean, its like suing anyone that makes a show about a guy liking a girl and finding a way to get with her… wheres the line?
Re: Blackcat –
I completely agree, I love the burbs, but its the same concept.
and just because a critic says oh its a modern day this or that doesnt mean thats what it was meant to be.
its just a way to let people know what type of movie and to hook viewers.