Showtime and Lionsgate’s Entertainment One are being sued for copyright infringement, with the lawsuit alleging that their hit series “Yellowjackets” stole ideas from the 2015 movie “Eden.”
A lawsuit obtained by TheWrap and filed in federal court in California by the company that owns the rights to “Eden” alleges that the Showtime series contains “strikingly similar elements” to the movie. The two follow a trapped soccer team that crashes in the jungle on their way to a game, and in their attempts to survive, they begin to drift into cult-like behavior and eventually resort to cannibalism.
“In both works, the survivors, including many of the players and the coach, among others, must fight for their lives against the harsh elements, hunger due to scarcity of resources, and the psychological cost of isolation in the form of a growing darkness within themselves,” Thursday said. States the complaint. “As they fight for survival, tensions rise, alliances form, dark secrets emerge, and moral boundaries are pushed to the limit, blurring the line between good and evil.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the “most fundamental elements” of Yellow Vests were “copied” from Eden. Eden Film Productions is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction preventing the makers of “Yellowjackets” from profiting from the series.
Showtime did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
“Eden” is not to be confused with Ron Howard’s 2024 film of the same name, starring Ethan Peck, Nate Parker, Jessica Lowndes, Diego Boneta, James Remar and Sung Kang.
“Yellowjackets” remains one of Showtime’s biggest current hits. The show’s critically acclaimed second season premiere drew nearly 2 million viewers across all platforms, a record for the studio. The third season will be released in 2025 and features new stars Hilary Swank and Joel McHale.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
A source