Why Is Harper Lee’s Estate Suing Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway Adaptation Of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’?
The estate of Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, is suing the producers of Aaron Sorkin's upcoming Broadway adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
The Lawsuit
The suit, filed against producer Scott Rudin on Tuesday, March 13 in a federal court in Alabama, alleges that Sorkin's take on the popular novel strays too far from the original book, thereby breaching a contract signed between Lee and the producers of the upcoming production.
The contract that was signed eight months before the author's death specifies that the characters and the plot of the Broadway production need to remain true to the source material. The main allegation in the complaint is that Sorkin's script incorrectly portrays the character of Atticus Finch played by Newsroom star Jeff Daniels
The suit claims that the character, who is a small-town lawyer who represents a black man facing allegations of sexually assaulting a white woman, is depicted as "a man who begins the drama as a naïve apologist for the racial status quo." Apparently, it contradicts his heroic image in the book.
The complaint also cites a September 2017 interview with Vulture in which Sorkin said that in his adaptation of the classic novel, Daniels's character evolves into Atticus Finch by the end of the story.
Scott Rudin Responds
Rudin released a statement saying that the script of the upcoming adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird is within the stipulations of the contract with Lee.
"This adaptation by Aaron Sorkin of To Kill a Mockingbird is a faithful adaptation of Harper Lee's novel, which has been crafted within the constraints of the agreement executed by both Harper Lee and the play's producers before Ms. Lee's death," Rudin said.
He added that there are only artistic differences with Lee's estate and it is being handled by attorney Tonja Carter. It's that kind, which can be easily resolved by two parties who share a common interest.
The producer also cited that the author's estate has a "history of litigious behavior." The lawsuit is just one of many of complaints filed by the estate without any merit.
The upcoming Broadway production will be directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher and is expected to debut this fall. Daniels will star alongside Celia Keenan-Bolger, Will Pullen, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Frederick Weller, Gideon Glick, Stark Sands, Erin Wilhelmi, Dakin Matthews, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Phyllis Somerville, and Liv Rooth.
