The screenwriter alleges Amazon ignored the date the “Road House” screenplay’s copyright should have reverted back to him.
Topline
The screenwriter of the original “Road House” movie sued Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and parent company Amazon on Tuesday, accusing the tech giant of copyright infringement and violating agreements with the Screen Actors Guild by using AI to simulate actors’ voices in the 2024 reboot of “Road House.”Key Facts
The lawsuit, filed in California by R. Lance Hill, alleges Amazon refused to acknowledge the date in which the copyright of “Road House” should have reverted to him, instead choosing to move forward with production of the remake of the movie, which is based on Hill’s screenplay.
The lawsuit says in 2021, Hill requested the copyright of the screenplay revert back to him on Nov. 11, 2023—nearly 40 years after he transferred the copyright to production company United Artists.
Amazon allegedly attempted to complete the “Road House” remake one day before the copyright would return to Hill, resorting to the use of artificial intelligence during last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike to replicate actors’ voices and speed up production.
