What if my movie is too much like another?
I have been working on a spec that has a great premise. Not long ago, a Big Hollywood Movie came out with a very similar premise, and touched on similar themes as my script. Now, I’m NOT asking, “Can I sue?”, or any of the other similar questions I have found asked by others in this situation.
My story has a different angle, and of course, I think it’s better than this other movie. What I want to know is this: when this thing is ready to send out (looking for agent, mainly, but as evidenced by Big Hollywood Movie, it might sell), should I mention its similarity to the Big Hollywood Movie? Would doing so help or hinder my cause? I can foresee the situation where I mention up front that my script is like Big Hollywood Movie, not wanting to look like a copycat, but I end up looking like more of a copycat. On the other hand, I can foresee coming off as a copycat if I don’t mention it. Sacrificing brevity for clarity, I again ask:
When this thing is ready to send out, should I mention its similarity to the Big Hollywood Movie?
– Luke
Washington, DC
Without knowing the specific details of your plot, it’s impossible to say. But here’s the issue I think you’re overlooking: is your script really that similar?
You think so, because you’ve been staring at your script for months, cursing your dumb luck to have written something so much like Big Dumb Hollywood Movie. But to an outside observer, it might not seem that way.
Years ago, when I was working on my Untitled Zombie Western, I read in Variety about two different “cowboy and aliens” projects rushing though development. I was certain my project was doomed — no way would anyone want to do my genre-crossing hybrid now. I refused to listen to friends’ reasonable advice: aliens are not zombies; my setting was distinct; most movies never make it out of development.
My friends were right on all three counts, and neither of the cowboys-and-aliens movies have shot. (Neither has my zombie western, so my schadenfreude offers limited satisfaction.)
You say that your script has a similar premise and theme, but neither of those speak to plot. X-MEN and SKY HIGH have similar premises, but if you’d written the latter, you wouldn’t automatically draw the comparison to the former.
Here’s probably the best test for whether you need to acknowledge the similarity to Big Hollywood Movie: write a three-sentence description of your script. If it sounds a lot like the other movie, you should probably call it out. But if it’s clear how it differs, then leave it alone.
Ultimately, the similarities between your script and the other movie might be enough to keep it from progressing. But remember that the goal of this script is to get people to notice how good your writing is. Execution is what matters.
Articles
October 24th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
In reference to your western zombie movie idea, earlier this year I worked as the location sound recorder/mixer/boomer on a cowboys and vampire movie, “The Magnificent Dead” written and directed by Shane Scott. We shot for three weeks at Willy Nelson’s ranch outside of Austin.
Okay, they were vampires, not zombies, but still undead, right?
Rob:-]
October 24th, 2006 at 5:04 pm
FIRST!!!
Oops, wrong site?
I always end up seeing ideas pinched before me. I remember Spielberg saying good ideas are out there floating on the ether and lots of his ideas have also been used. People think alike. Those that think outside the box, end up with theirs on the box more often… or not. I dunno. Just keep writing, is all I’ll say. It’s in the words.
October 24th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
Not only have I experienced times when an idea of mine suddenly becomes a movie written by someone else, but there was a whole season of Beverly Hills 90210 where Brandon Walsh kept getting involved in situations very similar to ones I had just been involved in. It was creepy, though it did lead to my writing a script called “Jason Priestley Stole My Life”.
October 25th, 2006 at 9:36 am
Luke:
When we were in production for my film, Serial, we suddenly heard of 2 other films that had a similar plot, Cronicas and Bordertown.
And to make matters worse, all three films, including mine, starred Latino actors (Lauren Velez, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez; respectively). But wheras their films were straight up thrillers, ours was a satire with a couple of sick moments. And it didn’t hurt that their films tanked.
Either way I think you’ll find that most Hollywood movies have a competing movie with a very similar plot. In fact, let’s play a game. I’ll name a movie and you guys think of a movie with a very similar plot. For example: If I were to say Volcano another poster might answer Dante’s Peak.
Okay.
Here’s one:
DEEP IMPACT
October 25th, 2006 at 11:51 am
^ That’s my favorite porn movie, man.
I remember I thought I had a million dollar idea. Wrote a first draft and then I read about a movie being produced called “Stranger than Fiction”.
Ruined my week.
October 25th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
A Clockwork Orange?
October 25th, 2006 at 11:22 pm
DEEP THROAT…?
October 26th, 2006 at 5:40 am
Question to anyone who knows… Is there protocol dealing with a movie that resembles a song? For example, if I was to make a film that was a loose adaptation of the song Escape by Rupert Holmes, is there any legal issues that I would have to go through? Since the song has such a clear understandable story that everyone knows, they would immediately make the connection to the song after seeing the film. Any help would be great.
October 26th, 2006 at 6:30 am
“johnny hartmann says:October 25th, 2006 at 11:22 pm, DEEP THROAT…?”
Off to go do some volunteer work at this local garden here in town, but I had to pop back onto the site and comment as per last night my students were a buzz with the above comment…
OMG this was sooo funny!! Had to explain the weight of the sarcasm here to my clients. I am still rolling, soooo hysterical, very poignant… Thx! xoxoLL
October 26th, 2006 at 7:04 am
[quote]You say that your script has a similar premise and theme, but neither of those speak to plot. X-MEN and SKY HIGH have similar premises, but if you’d written the latter, you wouldn’t automatically draw the comparison to the former.[/quote]
I feel X-MEN and SKY HIGH are much closer to each other than say, ZOOM and X-MEN… but Marvel sued to stop ZOOM from releasing two weeks before X3 because it would “confuse” viewers. I’m sure that was just a business decision though.
October 26th, 2006 at 7:08 am
And I suck at quote markup today.
October 26th, 2006 at 10:18 am
There’s a great list of similar projects all being in pre-production on The Inside Pitch website under the Hallewood section. Mr. Lockhart lists several films that all deal with the “fish-out-of-water scenario dramatizing an independent adult who must suddenly deal with children.” John is even working on one (or was). This might help you worry a bit less, although I think every writer hopes to come up with that one unique logline that’s never been done before.
October 27th, 2006 at 8:56 am
Don´t worry about similar plots - it´s Hollywood. Hollywood seems to be so happy about certain elements in movies (i.e. horror / children / death (Sixth Sense, Godsend, Hide and Seek, Half Light…)), that you sometimes can´t tell if you´ve seen that movie already or not. Make it a great script, have fun writing it and believe in it - always remember: worse has been sold, worse has been produced, worse has made a whole lotta money.
October 29th, 2006 at 12:18 am
I remember most people were surprised when BIG was released after “Like Father Like Son”, “Vice Versa”, and “18 Again!” had all come out within the previous 8 months. Yet BIG is the one that did it best… Anne Spielberg/Jim Brooks
October 29th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Ok, first off– How funny is this? I sent this question in last week or so, thinking that it may never be published, and if it did, I would get some email alerting me months down the road. Today, I was researching a totally different topic on google, and found a link to John’s site. Knowing the quality of this site, I naturally followed the link. Within one click, I was staring at my question thinking, “Wait- that question I sent him HAD been asked before.”
So kudos and thanks, John, for being so quick!
For everyone else, I appreciate the additional advice and encouragement, but as stated twice in the original question, I want to know whether the similarity should be mentioned when I send out the script. I don’t plan on trashing it just because it is so similar. I do expect that the (hopefully) good writing should speak for itself, but I was not sure about the professional protocol on sending out what appears to be a copycat script.
Thanks again, John and everyone. This blog continues to amaze me.
October 30th, 2006 at 2:00 am
i’m not professional by any means, but if i were a reader, i wouldn’t want to hear “it’s exactly like die hard.” i might, however, want to hear “it’s die hard… IN A DUDE.”