See you in court! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most controversial movies that have been the subject of major lawsuits, for good, bad, or bizarre reasons. Some spoilers to come!
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00:00The real question is this, was all this legal?
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most controversial
00:09movies that have been the subject of major lawsuits, for good, bad, or bizarre reasons.
00:15Some spoilers to come.
00:16I'm needed elsewhere now, I'm needed wherever outlaws rule the west.
00:23Number 30
00:24The Dark Knight
00:25This film had an explosive effect on pop culture, with huge box office success and critical
00:31praise.
00:32But it also incurred at least one stranger-than-fiction lawsuit.
00:37These cops and lawyers wouldn't dare cross any of you.
00:45What happened?
00:46The mayor of Batman, a city in Turkey, which is the capital of Batman County, in a province
00:52also called Batman, naturally took offense.
00:55Granted, the city's name most likely came from Batiraman, rather than anything comic
01:00book-related.
01:01Still, one might wonder why the mayor didn't sue the creators of Batman or DC Comics.
01:07This lawsuit went beyond mere copyright infringement.
01:10The mayor even suggested the film was responsible for several unsolved murders.
01:15Fortunately, the lawsuit never moved forward, as it could have set a dangerous precedent.
01:21549 criminals at once.
01:24How did you convince Cirillo to hear the sparse?
01:27She shares my enthusiasm for justice.
01:29Number 29
01:30The Interview
01:32It was perhaps inevitable that a satirical film from Seth Rogen would stir some controversy.
01:46Sure enough, The Interview contained a graphic death scene of Kim Jong-un that led to intimidating
01:52threats from the North Korean government.
01:54But as it turned out, the real issue arose from a much more innocuous detail.
01:59After hackers threatened to attack theaters that showed the movie, the studio opted for
02:04streaming.
02:05Kernel Films, the stealth startup handling the release, hired another company, NuStar,
02:11to ensure the streaming was secure.
02:14According to NuStar, though, Kernel never paid their $1.1 million fee, so they dragged
02:19them to court for it.
02:25In the end, The Interview caused a lot more trouble than it was worth.
02:29Number 28
02:30Romeo and Juliet
02:40This classic adaptation of one of literature's greatest love stories turned out to be more
02:45tragic than expected.
02:47Director Franco Zeffirelli had initially promised the underage leads, Olivia Hussey and Leonard
02:52Whiting, that they would wear flesh-colored undergarments during their love scene.
02:57However, just before shooting, he convinced them to go nude with only body makeup, falsely
03:03assuring them their private parts would not be visible.
03:06Although Hussey initially defended the nude scene in 2018, her stance changed five years
03:12later.
03:18She and Whiting sued Paramount Pictures for $500 million, claiming the incident caused
03:24them emotional damage.
03:26The lawsuit was dismissed, partly due to the statute of limitations, but it's still troubling
03:31that they were exploited in such a manner.
03:34Number 27
03:36Yesterday
03:44This romantic comedy set in a world without the Beatles incurred an even more bizarre
03:49outcome.
03:50When the film was released, two fans of actress Ana de Armas rented it on Amazon Prime hoping
03:55to see her.
03:57To their surprise, she wasn't in the final cut.
04:00Feeling deceived, they sued Universal Pictures, claiming they were cheated out of about $4.
04:06Initially, they gained some traction, as a judge ruled that misleading trailers could
04:10be considered false advertising.
04:13However, the studio argued that trailers are works of art, protected by the First Amendment.
04:23Besides, several other factors could have drawn viewers other than a brief shot of de
04:28Armas.
04:29The case was ultimately dismissed, and the plaintiffs dropped their suit with prejudice.
04:34Number 26
04:35The Cabin in the Woods
04:46Plagiarism-related lawsuits seem to be the most common in the film industry.
04:50But it's a bit ironic that this horror movie, which satirizes genre tropes, could get slapped
04:55with one.
04:56In 2015, author Peter Gallagher claimed filmmakers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard stole the plot
05:03and characters of his 2006 novel, The Little White Trip, A Night in the Pines.
05:09Both stories revolve around five friends staying at an isolated cabin, who slowly realize that
05:14the horrors they face are being engineered by others.
05:17Unlike the movie, the night's horrors in the novel are the result of filmmakers, not
05:22lab scientists.
05:28The suit was dismissed on the basis that despite sharing the same premise, the two works were
05:33executed differently.
05:35Number 25
05:37Rust
05:45The tragic events that occurred on the set of the Western film Rust stress the importance
05:49of safety in filmmaking.
05:51During production, actor Alec Baldwin accidentally discharged a live round from a prop gun, killing
05:58cinematographer Helena Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
06:03In the aftermath, production was suspended indefinitely, and several lawsuits followed,
06:09including a wrongful death suit from Hutchins' family.
06:13Baldwin was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, although the case was later
06:17dismissed with prejudice, after it emerged that the prosecution withheld evidence from
06:22the defense.
06:23In October 2022, the production settled with Hutchins' family, although reports in March
06:292024 revealed that they had yet to receive the payments.
06:39Number 24
06:40Twilight Zone – The Movie
06:42Much like an actual episode of the Twilight Zone series, its movie adaptation became linked
06:47to a real-life tragedy.
06:55In the film's time-out segment, Vic Morrow plays a bigoted man who was sent back in time
07:00to experience life on the receiving end of prejudice.
07:03The script initially featured Morrow's character rescuing two children during the Vietnam War.
07:09However, the young actors portraying the children were hired illegally and made to work at night.
07:15Tragically, while filming a scene involving a helicopter, Morrow and the children were
07:20killed when the aircraft crashed.
07:23Civil and criminal lawsuits were filed, with director John Landis and others being tried
07:28and ultimately acquitted of manslaughter.
07:31The bitter legal battles eventually led to stricter safety regulations in the industry.
07:41Number 23
07:42Evil Born Killers – The Movie
07:44Directed by Oliver Stone, this film generated tremendous controversy for its ultraviolence.
07:50Even Quentin Tarantino, who wrote the original screenplay, has since denounced it for drastic
07:55changes made.
08:04Since its release, the film has gained a reputation for seemingly inspiring copycat crimes across
08:09North America.
08:11Perhaps the most notable case involved an 18-year-old couple who watched the film several
08:16times in a secluded cabin.
08:18They then went on to shoot cotton mill manager William Savage and cashier Patsy Byers in
08:24separate incidents.
08:25Savage died, but Byers survived and sued her attackers, as well as the filmmakers, for
08:31inspiring them.
08:32In 2002, it was ruled that there was no strong causal link between the movie and the couple's
08:38actions.
08:40Number 22
08:49Black Widow – The Movie
08:50Aside from horrific accidents or even murder, another common reason for lawsuits against
08:55movies is simply money.
09:05In 2021, lead actress Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for violating her contract with
09:11Marvel by releasing Black Widow simultaneously in theaters and on their streaming service
09:16due to the pandemic.
09:18According to Johansson, the contract had guaranteed Black Widow a wide theatrical release, which
09:24did not happen.
09:26She alleged that this change allowed Disney to avoid paying her the box office bonuses
09:30she should have gotten.
09:32Things got quite nasty when Disney accused Johansson of being insensitive to the pandemic's
09:37impact, which some described as a, quote, gendered character attack.
09:47The suit was finally settled in September 2021, with Johansson reportedly receiving
09:52over $40 million from Disney.
09:55Number 21
09:57Rasputin and the Emperors
10:06Have you ever wondered why films always include a disclaimer stating that the characters are
10:10fictitious and not based on real people?
10:13Well, that's thanks to this 1932 film.
10:17Based on the real-life Russian monarchy, it concerns healer Rasputin's attempts to cure
10:21Crown Prince Alexei's condition, and his subsequent rise to power.
10:27One of the characters in the movie, Princess Natasha, was based on the real-life Princess
10:31Irina Yusupov, whose husband Felix participated in Rasputin's actual assassination.
10:37You don't like him because he's so outspoken.
10:40You don't like his manners.
10:41Isn't that it?
10:42No, that's not it.
10:43Yusupov sued the film, claiming invasion of privacy and libel, and she was awarded a settlement.
10:50As a result, filmmakers began including disclaimers to save themselves similar legal headaches
10:55in the future.
10:57Number 20
10:58Straight Outta Compton
10:592015 saw the release of F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton, a biopic about the rise, peak,
11:05and fall of N.W.A.
11:07One of the major players in the story is the group's manager, Jerry Heller.
11:11Heller contested his villainous depiction in the film, and claimed that his name and
11:15likeness were taken without his permission.
11:29He filed a lawsuit on October 30th, 2015, in the Superior Court of Los Angeles.
11:34However, Heller passed away just 11 months later from a combined heart attack and car
11:39accident, with many, including his lawyer and TMZ, insinuating that the stress of the
11:44movie and lawsuit had caused him to suffer the heart attack.
11:47His suit was dismissed two years later.
11:50Number 19
11:51The Devil's Advocate
11:52Here's a warning to all future filmmakers.
11:55Be really careful that your designs weren't accidentally lifted from something else.
11:59When The Devil's Advocate was released in 1997, sculptor Frederick Hart noticed that
12:04the sculpture in Milton's apartment looked suspiciously like his ex, Sny Hillo, which
12:09is adorned on Washington's Episcopal National Cathedral.
12:13Both Hart and the cathedral sued Warner Bros., and a judge claimed that they had a substantial
12:18likelihood of winning the case.
12:20Warner Bros. settled with the plaintiffs before it went to trial, and they were forced to
12:24make digital edits before the movie could be released for sale.
12:36Copies that were already produced for rental were adorned with a sticker, claiming that
12:40there was no relation between the movie's sculpture and Hart's work.
12:44Number 18
12:45Lay the Favorite
12:46In 2012, a Bruce Willis movie called Lay the Favorite bombed hard at the box office, grossing
12:52just $1.5 million on a $20 million budget.
13:02It was later picked up by both Netflix and Amazon, and it was then that mapmaker Victor
13:07Baker pegged it with a lawsuit.
13:09Baker makes and sells antique watercolor maps of various locations around the world, and
13:14a map of his featuring Curaçao can be seen in the movie.
13:17The film partially takes place in Curaçao, as it features sports bettors avoiding American
13:22gambling laws.
13:23Baker sued the distributors for statutory damages of up to $150,000, or the fair market
13:30license fee for use of his map.
13:33Number 17
13:34Reality Bites
13:35This romantic comedy-drama served as Ben Stiller's directorial debut.
13:40There's nothing like getting slapped with a lawsuit on your very first movie.
13:50The story concerns the budding romance between a documentary filmmaker and a floundering
13:54young adult named Troy Dyer.
13:57Writer Helen Childrest admitted on the 10th Anniversary DVD commentary that she wrote
14:01the film based on her own experiences, forcing a man named Troy Dyer, who had attended school
14:07with Childrest, to come forth with a defamation lawsuit.
14:11According to him, he was approached by many clients asking if he was the basis for the
14:15fictional slacker.
14:21However, the case was settled when Childrest proved that Dyer was not the
14:31basis for the fictional Dyer.
14:33He was Dyer in name only.
14:35Number 16
14:36Colossal
14:37This movie stars Anne Hathaway as Gloria, an unemployed alcoholic writer who unknowingly
14:42conjures a giant monster who wreaks havoc in Seoul.
14:53Just go with it.
14:54The connections to Godzilla are obvious, which certainly wasn't helped by the movie's
14:59Cannes Film Festival, which featured photos of Godzilla and was described by director
15:04Nacho Vigalondo as, quote, the cheapest Godzilla movie ever made.
15:09Unsurprisingly, Godzilla's copyright holders, Toho, took Voltage Pictures to court before
15:13the movie was even produced.
15:15A settlement was eventually reached in which the setting was moved from Tokyo to Seoul
15:19and an agreement that the movie wouldn't feature an obvious Godzilla derivative.
15:24Number 15
15:25Couple's Retreat
15:26This romantic comedy stars Jon Favreau and Kristen Davis as unhappy high school sweethearts
15:31Joey and Lucy Tanzini.
15:34In one scene, Joey enjoys himself to an old photo of model Irina Krupnik.
15:39Krupnik had previously sold the photo to a stock image company, but she never intended
15:44it to be used in the movie's context.
15:46As per her lawyer, quote, Krupnik did not contemplate, intend, or consent to the use
15:51of her photograph or likeness in a quasi-pornographic context.
16:01She proceeded to launch a defamation suit and demanded $10 million in compensation.
16:06But by signing the rights away to the photo, Krupnik lost the ability to dictate how it
16:11was used.
16:12A judge threw out the case and Krupnik never saw a dime.
16:16Number 14
16:17The Laundromat
16:18In this case, the elite didn't win.
16:21The Laundromat concerns the famous Panama Papers scandal, and more specifically, the
16:25involvement of offshore financial services provider Mossack Fonseca.
16:30Its founders, Jürgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca, were respectively played by Gary Oldman and
16:36Antonio Banderas.
16:47Two days before the film was scheduled to release through Netflix, both Mossack and
16:55Fonseca sued Netflix for defamation and attempted to have the film blocked from release.
17:11Netflix called the lawsuit a frivolous legal stunt and argued that the movie fell under
17:16constitutionally protected speech.
17:18A Connecticut judge named Janet Archerton moved the case to California and the movie
17:23was released as planned.
17:25The suit was eventually dismissed after a judge ruled that the film was protected as
17:29free speech.
17:30Number 13
17:31Happy Death Day
17:32King Cake Baby is one of the most famous images in basketball, serving as the mascot for the
17:42New Orleans Pelicans.
17:50The character was created back in 2009, and nearly 10 years later, a near-identical face
17:56was used as the killer's mask in Happy Death Day.
17:59But that's not the only connection.
18:00King Cake Baby is obviously linked to New Orleans, and Happy Death Day was filmed on
18:05the campus of New Orleans Loyola University.
18:08The mascot's creator, Jonathan Berticelli, realized that the mask bore a striking resemblance
18:13to his character, and sued both Universal and Blumhouse for half of the movie's profits.
18:18The lawsuit was filed in 2019, and was ultimately settled two years later.
18:24Number 12
18:25American Hustle
18:26This movie concerns a historic FBI sting operation, so it's not really surprising that it was
18:31pegged with a lawsuit.
18:32What is surprising was that it had nothing to do with the FBI.
18:36Merely, it concerns a microwave.
18:39Jennifer Lawrence's Rosalyn claims that she read in a Paul Brodeur article that microwaves
18:43zap food of their nutrition.
19:00Brodeur is a real figure, and has written extensively about microwave radiation, but
19:04he never claimed that they suck nutrition from food.
19:21He told the court as much in his lawsuit, claiming that the movie defamed and portrayed
19:25him as a fear monger.
19:26However, a California appeals court stated that the movie was a, quote, farce, and that
19:31audiences were led to mistrust anything that the unhinged Rosalyn claimed.
19:36Number 11
19:37The Wolf of Wall Street
19:39Real people can be touchy about how they're depicted in movies.
19:47In this case, it wasn't Jordan Belfort who had a problem, but one of his ex-employees,
19:51Andrew Green.
19:52He contends that the character of Nicky Koskoff, played by PJ Byrne, was based on him, and
19:59him as, quote, a criminal, drug user, degenerate, depraved, and or devoid of any morality or
20:05ethics.
20:06The defamation case lasted over four years before it was thrown out due to a lack of
20:10proof.
20:11Defamation cases are notoriously hard to win, as plaintiffs must prove both intentional
20:16malice and the character's direct relation to them.
20:19As Koskoff was a composite character with little direct relation to Green, he was not
20:23able to prove correlation.
20:26Number 10
20:28Tears of the Sun
20:29This Bruce Willis-led action thriller concerns a Navy SEAL team sent to rescue a United States
20:34citizen from the jungles of Nigeria.
20:37Action movies are tricky to film, owing to all the dangerous stunts and pyrotechnics,
20:41and sometimes things go wrong.
20:43In this case, things went wrong for the movie's star.
20:53Willis was reportedly hit in the head by an unidentified projectile during one of the
20:57movie's action scenes, resulting in extreme mental, physical, and emotional pain.
21:02He sought financial damages and compensation, as he was, quote, required to employ physicians
21:08and other medical personnel to treat his unspecified injury.
21:12He claimed that the special effects team acted negligently and exposed the crew to ultra-hazardous
21:17activity.
21:19Number 9
21:20Frozen
21:21This incredibly popular Disney film was subjected to not one, but two lawsuits.
21:29We'll talk about the more serious one first.
21:31In 2017, musical artist Jaime Sierra sued Disney for copyright infringement, claiming
21:37that Let It Go borrowed heavily from his song Volar.
21:40However, the statute of limitations on copyright claims had run out, and the case was let go
21:45in May 2019.
21:51The goofier one involves author Isabella Tanikumi, who claimed that Frozen plagiarized
21:56her self-published memoir, Yearnings of the Heart.
21:59She was looking for $250 million in damages.
22:02Not surprisingly, District Judge William Martini threw the case out of court, hilariously stating,
22:08quote, the two stories are entirely different, and claiming that themes are not covered under
22:13copyright.
22:14Number 8
22:15Twelve Monkeys
22:16Apparently Bruce Willis is a living, breathing lawsuit magnate.
22:21In the very beginning of Twelve Monkeys, Willis' James Cole is interrogated on an elevated
22:25chair, while some weird futuristic sphere probes him for weakness.
22:30Like The Devil's Advocate, this room and setup bore striking similarities to another
22:34piece of work, this one being a close approximation of architect LeBaeus Woods' neomechanical
22:40tower upper chamber.
22:42And just as The Devil's Advocate would have gone had Warner Bros. not settled, Woods won
22:46the case.
22:47He was awarded a high six-figure settlement from Universal Pictures in exchange for his
22:52work's use in the film, and the end credits claim that the interrogation room was inspired
22:57by the architectural work of LeBaeus Woods.
23:00Number 7
23:01Avatar
23:02James Cameron's Avatar was a technical marvel, but its story was very derivative.
23:07So derivative, in fact, that it was subjected to numerous lawsuits.
23:11No more than six separate writers claimed that Cameron snatched their ideas or aspects
23:16of their published stories for the movie.
23:18Some cases were more substantial than others, and many of these lawsuits were eventually
23:23dropped.
23:28But it wasn't just the story that proved controversial.
23:31The physical design of Pandora drew the attention of artist William Roger Dean, who claimed
23:36that Cameron stole aspects of his paintings, most notably the Hallelujah Mountains sharing
23:41similarities with his work Floating Islands.
23:44However, a judge threw the case out, claiming, quote,
23:47"'Plaintiff does not have a monopoly on the idea of floating or airborne land.'"
23:51We will show the sky people that they cannot take whatever they want.
23:58And that this, this is our land.
24:01No, no.
24:02No, no.
24:03No, no.
24:04No, no.
24:05No, no.
24:06No, no.
24:07No, no.
24:08No, no.
24:09No, no.
24:10No, no.
24:11No, no.
24:12No, no.
24:14There were three separate lawsuits.
24:15One involved Louis Vuitton suing over a knock-off handbag seen and referred to in the film,
24:21claiming it was trademark delusion.
24:23They lost that one.
24:24Careful, that's a Louis, that is a Louis Vuitton.
24:28The second involved stuntman Scott McLean, who suffered a horrible and debilitating brain
24:33injury while filming a car stunt.
24:35That case was settled out of court.
24:37Finally, Stu's mock Mike Tyson face tattoo was subjected to a copyright infringement
24:42case by Tyson's tattoo designer, S. Victor Whitmill.
24:45That's good.
24:46Why don't you try to wash it off?
24:47It's not coming off.
24:50This case too was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
24:54Number five, Die Hard 2.
24:57Product placement is all too common in blockbuster movies.
25:00As the budget for Die Hard 2 increased, Fox and Black & Decker reached an agreement.
25:04The power tool manufacturer would fork over $20,000 in exchange for John McLean using
25:10their latest tool, the Univolt cordless drill, on screen.
25:14This is a first.
25:15Yeah, well, Holly told me I should wake up and smell the 90s.
25:18The company was excited about the promotion and even created a tie-in marketing campaign
25:22around the tool.
25:23However, the scene was cut from the final edit without Black & Decker's permission,
25:27and the company was cheesed.
25:29They sought $150,000 in damages and won, with 20th Century Fox settling out of court.
25:35Jeez, McLean, you all right?
25:36Do you want a medic?
25:37McLean, what the hell do you think you're doing out there?
25:39I'm playing John Wayne.
25:40How'd you like to spend the rest of the night in a cell?
25:43But the best part about this story, Black & Decker never actually paid the agreed-upon
25:47$20,000.
25:49Number four, Blazing Saddles.
25:52Hedy Lamarr was a popular Hollywood actress throughout the late 30s and 40s, starring
25:56in movies alongside Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart.
26:00In Blazing Saddles, Harvey Korman plays a character named Hedley Lamarr.
26:04You see the issue.
26:05Lamarr sued Warner Bros. over misuse of her name for $100,000, about $500,000 today.
26:12Director Mel Brooks decided not to fight it, and Warner Bros. settled out of court for
26:16an undisclosed, albeit admittedly small, sum.
26:20Consider it done, fellow.
26:22They also issued a tongue-in-cheek apology for almost using her name.
26:26This lawsuit is even winkingly referenced in the movie itself by Brooks' character,
26:30the Governor.
26:31Thank you, Hedy, thank you.
26:32It's not Hedy, it's Hedley.
26:36The hell are you worried about?
26:37This is 1874.
26:38You'll be able to sue her.
26:41Number three, Back to the Future Part II.
26:43Marty!
26:44You've got to come back with me.
26:48Where?
26:49Back to the future.
26:51Sometimes cases prove so important that they change the way filmmaking's done forever.
26:56Case in point, the replacement of Crispin Glover in Back to the Future Part II.
27:00Glover was asked to return as George McFly, but reportedly demanded too much money.
27:05Rather than bow to his demands, the producers told him to make like a tree and get out of
27:10here and replaced him with actor Jeffrey Weissman.
27:13Weissman wore various prosthetics to make him look like Glover, resulting in a lawsuit
27:17in which the real Glover claimed that they had used his likeness without his permission.
27:22What if we don't succeed?
27:24We must succeed.
27:27The case was settled out of court and various clauses were inserted into the Screen Actors
27:31Guild claiming that actors' likenesses cannot be replicated.
27:36Number two, Rocky.
27:37What do you think about when the 15th round, you're coming out?
27:42It's claimed that Sylvester Stallone was inspired to write Rocky after watching a boxing
27:46match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, in which Wepner went 15 rounds before losing
27:51in a technical knockout.
27:53Apparently Wepner was okay with this fact for over 25 years, but something snapped in
27:582003 that inspired him to launch a lawsuit against Stallone.
28:01He sought $15 million, claiming Stallone used his name to, quote, promote the Rocky movies
28:07for commercial purposes without his consent and without compensation.
28:19The suit was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum in 2006, the same year that
28:24Rocky Balboa was released.
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28:43Number one, Borat.
28:44Is this the most sued movie ever?
28:47Let's go through the list.
28:48The villagers of Glaud, Romania sued, claiming that the movie made them look incestuous.
28:55A South Carolina resident claimed that Sacha Baron Cohen made crude comments about him.
29:08Driving instructor Michael Snixa sued over the use of his image in promotional material.
29:13The man who runs away from Borat in New York sued over public ridicule and humiliation.
29:19Two of the frat brothers launched a defamation lawsuit.
29:22Singer Esma Rejepova sued over the use of her song, even though the filmmakers had received
29:27permission.
29:28Funnily enough, this was the only lawsuit to kind of win, as she had not been notified
29:32by her production house.
29:34She was awarded just €26,000 of her €800,000 suit.
29:44Which other notable film do you remember was at the center of an explosive lawsuit and
29:48even controversy?
29:50Let us know in the comments.
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