Lawsuit against Netflix over Don’t Look Up Movie

David Sirota, a Denver-based journalist known for his work at The Lever, an investigative news site, also has a co-story credit on the 2021 hit film “Don’t Look Up” that earned him an Academy Award nomination. However, the film is now facing a lawsuit filed on December 5th by author Darren Hunter, who claims that Sirota and director Adam McKay took inspiration from his book “The Million Day Forecast: There’s an Epic Storm in the Forecast,” originally published in 2015.

This isn’t the first time that authors have accused “Don’t Look Up” of drawing from their work – a prior case brought by William Collier in November alleging similarities to his novel “Stanley’s Comet” was dismissed. But Larry Klayman, the attorney representing Hunter in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit Court, is confident that this case will have a different outcome.

Klayman pointed out the resemblances between “Don’t Look Up” and “The Million Day Forecast,” claiming there are too many to be dismissed as mere coincidence. The lawsuit names Sirota, McKay, McKay’s production company Hyperobject Industries, Netflix, and Scott Stuber, Netflix’s chairperson and a co-producer of “Don’t Look Up,” as defendants. While McKay and Netflix have not commented on the allegations, Sirota has yet to respond.

Reflecting on the film’s creation in 2021, Sirota shared his collaboration with McKay, which started with a conversation about addressing the climate crisis in a unique way. Sirota stressed the importance of crafting a climate-themed movie with comedic elements that resonated with audiences beyond the typical post-apocalyptic narratives. Together, they developed the idea of an asteroid hurtling towards Earth with comedic twists, resulting in the script for “Don’t Look Up.” The legal battle surrounding the film continues, as accusations of intellectual property infringement play out in court.