Quentin Tarantino Sued Over Django Unchained

Just as Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie ‘The Hateful Eight’ is set to open in cinemas worldwide, the esteemed filmmaker has been hit with a lawsuit over his previous film, ‘Django Unchained.’

The plaintiffs, writers Oscar Colvin Jr. and Torrrance J. Colvin, claim that Tarantino’s 2012 Oscar-winner stole from an earlier screenplay of their own entitled ‘Freedom.’

The Wrap reports that Tarantino and studios The Weinstein Company and Colombia Pictures are named in the lawsuit, and the Colvins are seeking “an amount in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars to be proven at trial” in damages.

The suit claims, “Before Django Freeman, there was an escaped slave named Jackson Freeman who desired to purchase his family’s freedom from a malevolent plantation owner.

”Before Dr. Schultz, there was Samson, another white man, who would assist Mr. Freeman in his efforts to rescue his loved one(s) from slavery.”

It is claimed that ‘Freedom’ provided “the heart, bones and muscles to develop the unique idea that eventually would be transformed into ‘Django Unchained.‘”

The suit is also said to highlight Tarantino’s long-admitted tendency to lift ideas from other movies, citing his personal quote, “I steal from every single movie ever made.”

Indeed, from the title alone ‘Django Unchained’ is heavily indebted to existing movies, taking its lead character’s name from ‘Django,’ the 1966 spaghetti western series which starred Franco Nero and spawned a slew of sequels and spin-offs.

Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’ cast Jamie Foxx in the lead, refashioning the character as a slave in the Old West who is freed and seeks vengeance.

The film grossed $425 million at the worldwide box office, and won Tarantino his second Best Original Screenplay Oscar (the first being ‘Pulp Fiction’).

It also saw a second Best Supporting Actor Oscar awarded to Christoph Waltz (who previously won the same award for Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ - which also borrowed its title and story elements from an existing movie).

We’re sure the timing of this lawsuit has nothing at all to do with ‘The Hateful Eight’ coming out - much as how a similar lawsuit brought against Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard on ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ in April 2015 (and subsequently dismissed) had nothing to do with Whedon’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ coming out later that same month…

Already out in the US, ‘The Hateful Eight’ hits UK cinemas on 8 January 2016.

Picture Credit: TWC/Sony

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