Buchwald v. Paramount

Buchwald v. Paramount (1990) was a breach of contract lawsuit filed and decided in California in which humorist and writer Art Buchwald alleged that Paramount Pictures stole his script idea and turned it into the 1988 movie Coming to America. Buchwald won the lawsuit and was awarded damages, and then accepted a settlement from Paramount before any appeal took place.

Timeline

In 1982, Buchwald wrote a screen treatment that was pitched to Jeffrey Katzenberg of Paramount, with the intention of starring Eddie Murphy, who was under contract to Paramount at the time. Paramount optioned the treatment in early 1983 and commissioned several unsuccessful scripts from several screenwriters. John Landis was considered as the director from time to time. After two years of development hell, Paramount decided to abandon the project in March 1985.

Related Topics:
Jeffrey Katzenberg - Eddie Murphy - Optioned - John Landis - Development hell

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In May 1986, Paramount's rival Warner Brothers optioned Buchwald's treatment.

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In the summer of 1987, Paramount began to develop a movie that was credited as being based on a story by Eddie Murphy, and which was to be directed by John Landis. The story outline seemed similar to Buchwald's story idea, and to the failed Paramount scripts that had been based on it.

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In January 1988, Warner Brothers cancelled their version of Buchwald's project, citing the Paramount project.

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When the movie Coming to America was released by Paramount in 1988, Eddie Murphy was given story credit. Buchwald was not paid, or credited as the story writer.

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