Playwright fails to block opening of new ‘Barbershop’ movie
Lawsuit claimed that the plots, themes, characters and situations in the movies bear an overwhelming resemblance to those of his stage play Scissors
The movie Barbershop: The Next Cut may open on Friday, a Manhattan judge ruled on Thursday as he denied an injunction sought by a New York playwright to block the fourth of a series of comedies that he claims ripped off his stage play Scissors.
Ronald Dickerson, a writer, actor and film director also known as JD Lawrence, had filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking the injunction and $20 million in damages from Time Warner Inc., Warner Brothers Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Showtime Networks Inc.
A representative for Dickerson declined to comment on the ruling by US district court Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
“We are pleased that Judge Swain saw through this thinly-veiled attempt to extort the companies that have invested over 14 years and millions of dollars to bring the beloved Barbershop franchise to audiences worldwide,” Warner Bros and MGM jointly said in an emailed statement.
A pre-trial conference on the lawsuit is scheduled for July 15. The lawsuit claims that the plots, themes, characters and situations in the Barbershop movies bear an overwhelming resemblance to those of Scissors, which toured the United States from 1998-2001.
Barbershop: The Next Cut, which stars Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve and Nicki Minaj, is the latest film in a series about the owners of a Chicago barbershop and an Atlanta beauty salon, their employees and neighborhood problems such as gangs and gentrification.
Also Read
-
Spielberg, foster and Sean Penn top list of stars at Cannes
Hollywood stars turned directors Jodie Foster and Sean Penn will show their latest films at the Cannes festival next month Variety -
A scene from ‘Castaway:’ Men spell ‘HELP’ with palm leaves on island
In a scene straight from Hollywood, or a New Yorker cartoon, a U.S. Navy plane spotted the word "help" spelled out in palm fronds Variety -
JLaw plays Iraq war photographer at center of new Spielberg film
Spielberg is about to tell her story in a new film in which she will be played by Hollywood’s hottest property, Jennifer Lawrence Variety -
1st Tunisian actor to snatch Berlin award: We have a right to be happy
Al Arabiya English’s exclusive interview with Majd Mastoura, who snatched a Berlin award, previously been won by Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio Variety -
Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins his Oscar
The 88th Academy Awards got underway with host Chris Rock launching the show, after Hollywood's finest walked up a sun-drenched Oscars red carpet Variety
