The creators of Top Gun: Maverick have been slapped with a lawsuit over the big screen overproduction.
The sequel to the 1986 film, which sees Tom Cruise reprise his most iconic role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, has been a box office hit since it hit theaters last month.
Globally, the film has earned at least $ 548.6 million ($ 760 million) in the two weeks since its release.
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It is already the highest grossing film of Cruise nationwide, surpassing the 2005 War of the Worlds.
Now the family of Ehud Yonay, the author of whose article inspired the original 1986 film, is suing Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement.
Watch Tom Cruise talk to Sunrise about the sequel to Top Gun in the video below
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The long-awaited sequel to Top Gun has been a box office success. Credit: supplied
Ehud’s widow, Shosh Yonay, and son Yuval Yonay have filed lawsuits alleging that the studio is benefiting from the sequel even though it is no longer copyrighted.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the duo claims that they contacted Paramount in 2018 to tell them that they would claim the copyright in January 2020.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, including the benefits of Top Gun: Maverick, and blocking the distribution of the movie or more sequels.
Under U.S. law, authors have the right to terminate copyright transfers after a period of 35 years.
The couple allege that Maverick ended production in May 2021, a date after Top Gun’s copyright was transferred back to them.
They are seeking compensation for damages, as well as a precautionary measure to prevent Paramount from continuing to distribute the film.
The creators of Top Gun: Maverick have received a slap in the face. Credit: supplied
The long-awaited sequel to Top Gun was initially announced by Tom Cruise in Sunrise in 2017.
It was launched in 2019, but was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is unclear when Paramount officially finished creating the film, but the studio has released a statement saying they will fight the case.
“These statements have no merit, and we will defend ourselves vigorously,” a spokesman said.
Yonays’ lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Got it over the phone, a woman who identified herself as Shosh Yonay and said her son was Yuval refused to comment.
– With AAP