Breaking: Love Might Not Happen This Weekend
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand
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Those of you planning a night out at the movies this weekend with Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart might want to do some extra finger crossing because there's a small chance love might not happen if two jaded screenwriters get their way. According to TMZ, screenwriters Greg Crowder and Tony Freitas are attempting to block the release of Universal's Love Happens this weekend because they feel the script for the film was stolen from them. That's right -- if Crowder and Freitas are to be believed, love already happened a few years ago when they handed the VP of Production for Universal a script called The Truth, which, we imagine, was a love story about love happening and then not happening, but thankfully happening again right before the end.
At the time Universal said the script needed a rewrite, but both writers wanted to be paid for said rewrite and that's when the deal fell apart. Then, earlier this year the duo submitted the script to another company, who then turned around and accused the writers of stealing the script from the upcoming Aniston/Eckhart vehicle. One imagines Greg and Tony then turned around, looked at each other and said something like, "Wait, did that just happen?"
So, now, these writers want to either block the release of Love Happens this weekend or receive a piece of its profits, which they hilariously estimate at more than $100 million. May as well demand the film's future Oscar while they're at it ...
Update: According to a studio source, Love Happens will still arrive in theaters this weekend as planned.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-16-2009 @ 11:40AM
Brent Schmidt said...
My girl would be pretty down about this as she/we've been waiting for this for the past month or so and were planning on seeing it this weekend during our trip to Disneyland... hope it still comes out on time.
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9-16-2009 @ 12:24PM
RTMS said...
There really needs to be a place or organization that registers legitimate scripts etc with the people who write them and keeps track of any changes others try to make to them. This is happening more and more and trying to prove ownership is getting harder for the little guy when your up against a movie studio.
Reply
9-17-2009 @ 2:40PM
FYI said...
You mail the script to yourself in a sealed priority mail envelope, with certified, confirmation reciept.
When you recieve it you keep it sealed and in a secure place.
That will confirm your date and time of the original copy.
And do the same with any changes.
9-17-2009 @ 3:02PM
fin said...
Sorry FYI - mailing a script to yourself does NOT hold up in court. You MUST register it with the Copyright office. Not even registering with the WGA is enough.
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9-17-2009 @ 3:12PM
Melvin said...
Maybe you could cite caselaw to support your contention? Common law copyright has been around for a long time. You allege it does "not hold up in court". It has before. It's common law. Could you support your position with fact? Thanks
9-18-2009 @ 12:54AM
IP Lawyer said...
For FYI and Melvin:
Copyright exists in a work as soon as it is created in a tangible form. "Poor man's copyright" (the act of mailing your own work to yourself in order to establish a date of copyright) is ineffective because the copyright in your work was created automatically. In the event of an infringement suit, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is the only way to be awarded statutory damages as well as attorneys' fees.
For more information, check out the link below:
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html
9-17-2009 @ 3:12PM
Betty said...
As if Jennifer Anniston would EVER win an Oscar !!! Pleeeeze, the only thing of note she's ever done was marry Brad Pit....So, someone, please tell me why she's always on these magazines, is it sympathy ?? Her acting ability is mediocre, at best...she's cute...but she's no Angie !!!
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9-17-2009 @ 3:16PM
debbie said...
Betty............he was joking about the Oscar! Came after the 100 million dollar crack. Get a sense of humor.
You are right about Aniston though.
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9-17-2009 @ 3:28PM
crystal said...
Jennifer hasn't done anything worth a sh*t since 'Friends'...(including the rest of the cast). She is the same person in every movie..all her movies are predictable and just plain stupid.
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9-17-2009 @ 7:28PM
pdowell said...
I don't think she is the worlds greatest actress, but she does a good job. She need different material, perhaps.
As for marrying Brad Pitt, that was a big mistake, who knew he would go after a low life like Jolie. Who, has no acting ability, but glides by on her sexy looks alone, she is a no talent.
9-17-2009 @ 4:04PM
otown said...
All you girls are jealous(betty,debbie,crystal)...you only wish you had her looks,money and body...
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9-17-2009 @ 4:14PM
sunnie6572 said...
Sounds to me like Betty and Crystal are a tad bit jealous here. Those of you who say she hasn't done anything since 'Friends' and that her movies are all the same really need to look up your info. As for awards, she has won several Emmy awards, Golden Globe awards, Peoples Choice awards, MTV movie awards, and a lineup of others.....so who needs Anjelina....'certainly not Jen'...and since we're talking talent...Anjie is NO Meryl Streep......just an over-hyped pretty girl.
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9-17-2009 @ 6:58PM
pants said...
I agree sunnie - those girls do seem a little jealous. Try checking out derailed, it was an awesome movie.
9-17-2009 @ 4:34PM
Wolf E said...
First of all, this movie's trailer features an-ever imposing figure of Seattle's space needle that somehow reminds me that this is just going to be another muddle through Nora Efron's "Sleepless in Seattle." ON-again-off-again love that is a tired plot in Hollywood. Tom Hanks' character in Sleepless was in love but his wife dies. Can he find love again? Can he love again? Well, you be the judge. Pick your own daisy and pluck the leaves, He loves me, he loves me not. Oh, wait. Did I just say that? Yuck!
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9-17-2009 @ 5:32PM
Lee said...
Anyone who thinks that Angie is a pretty woman, in my opinion, just has bad taste. It's also bad taste to ADMIT that you fell in love with another woman's husband while they were still married. When Angie decides to show her children the movie where "their parents fell in love" will she also tell them he was MARRIED? While Jennifer is beautiful, she has also shown class and inner beauty by not making derogatory remarks in public like some have done. Need I mention Eddie's ex-wife or the ex-wife of LeAnn Rimes new boyfriend? Those of us who are true Jen fans are true to her because we know the truth and that can't be changed by people's catty remarks about her. It is written.....
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9-17-2009 @ 6:49PM
Toni said...
Lee I agree 100%. Thank you for saying everything you said. I never was a big Angelina fan but I have not seen any of hers or Brads movies since that all happened. Its disgusting and I'm very sorry that some people still look up to them or think what they did is ok. What was even worse was the fact they lied about it for so long. They new it was totally wrong and yet did it anyway. Shame on them.
9-17-2009 @ 4:48PM
jimf said...
I bet betty , and crystal are some real hotties ! Its scary !
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9-17-2009 @ 9:08PM
Evelyn said...
I agree that script submissions need to be regulated because this happens a lot, and if it's true... they need to be compensated, but 100,000,000???? PUH-LEEZE!
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9-17-2009 @ 6:20PM
BRENDA STARR said...
Thank the powers that be ....All of her movies seem to me ,to be only to try to catch her next boyfriend , which in the end she can't keep . And all the time the poor guy wishes the movie were over. Shes a nice lady ,but she should try her luck out side of movie world. Good luck Jen .
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9-17-2009 @ 6:20PM
John F. C. Taylor said...
Oops! Did someone forget where the idea for this script came from? Or were these guys hoping to get a chunk of change by submitting an altered idea and then suing for a share of the profits. Going to be interesting to see how this turns out. Of course, there is always the possibility that someone else came up with a similar idea for a script without even knowing that the other idea even existed.
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