‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Lawsuit: Tom Cruise’s New Film Hits a Glitch Amid Its Success
Tom Cruise's film, "Top Gun: Maverick," hit a glitch while soaring high on the big screens.
On May 27, the 1986 hit "Top Gun" finally received its highly-anticipated sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick." It immediately showed commendable results soon after making its theatrical debut.
However, the movie's success hit a problem after late author Ehu Yonay's family sued Paramount Pictures for "thumbing its nose at the statute."
The lawsuit was filed on Monday in Los Angeles federal court. The alleged heirs of Yonay, Shosh and Yuval Yonay, said that the studio's "conscious failure to re-acquire the requisite film and ancillary rights to the Yonays' copyrighted Story before the completion and release of their derivative 2022 Sequel."
They claimed that Paramount Pictures violated the copyright when they released the sequel more than a year after the story had already been reverted to the Yonays under the Copyright Act. The development reportedly happened in January 2020.
"Despite the 2022 Sequel clearly having derived from the Story, Paramount consciously failed to secure a new license of film and ancillary rights in the copyrighted Story following the Yonays' recovery of their U.S. copyright on January 24, 2020," the civil complaint reads, per Deadline.
Now, Shosh and Yuval are seeking unspecified but seemingly whopping amount of damages from the studio.
In response to this, Paramount Pictures sent a statement (obtained by PEOPLE) in which it said that the claims are without merit. The studio pledged to defend itself from the lawsuit.
"Top Gun: Maverick" Has Good News Amid the Complaint
The lawsuit came out soon after Cruise's film reached the half-a-billion mark on Sunday.
"Top Gun: Maverick" confirmed gaining $85.8 million in 64 markets, making $261.6 million in total overseas sales. When added to the domestic's $295.6 million, the film's global total from its debut through the weekend is $557.2 million.
In just three days, the movie immediately grossed over $124 million at the domestic box office. Variety noted that it became Cruise's biggest opening yet and his first film to debut for more than $100 million.
The sequel explores the story 30 years after the lead character, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, graduated from the TOPGUN Naval aviation program. He now serves as an instructor for the fliers.
