The Holdovers Accused of Overwhelming Plagiarism by Screenwriter
Published: March 9, 2024
By Patrick Reilly
The upcoming Academy Awards took a dramatic turn as Best Picture nominee “The Holdovers” faced accusations of a “line-by-line” plagiarism of a decade-old screenplay, according to a recent report.
Allegations of Plagiarism
Screenwriter Simon Stephenson, renowned for his work on popular films such as “Luca” and “Paddington 2,” has made bold claims in recent emails to the Writer’s Guild of America, which were obtained by Variety. Stephenson alleges that director Alexander Payne likely came across his similar movie, “Frisco,” which was widely recognized by Hollywood in 2013 and even ranked number three on the industry’s “black list” of most promising scripts.
A Meticulous Comparison
Stephenson painstakingly compared “The Holdovers” to “Frisco,” analyzing scenes, important sequences, and dialogues. He contends that Payne reviewed the “Frisco” script in 2013 and was exposed to it again in 2019 before approaching first-time film writer David Hemingson to work on “The Holdovers,” who ultimately earned producing credits.
Overwhelming Evidence of Plagiarism
Stephenson’s emails to the WGA’s director of credits, Lesley Mackey, assert, “The evidence the ‘Holdovers’ screenplay has been plagiarised line-by-line from ‘Frisco’ is genuinely overwhelming.” The screenwriter claims that even a brief sample comparison clearly reveals the shameless nature of the plagiarism. He describes the similarities as “brazen,” stressing that key scenes in the alleged plagiarized screenplay remain practically identical even in layout.
A Possible Legal Battle
According to reports, Stephenson was told by a WGA associate counsel that this is not a guild issue and has been pointed towards a Los Angeles law firm. Stephenson himself acknowledges that litigation might be the most viable option in this particular situation.
The Holdovers’ Ascension at the Oscars
In a turn of events, this scandal hasn’t derailed “The Holdovers,” which has been nominated for five awards at this year’s Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay.
As of now, neither Simon Stephenson nor Alexander Payne has provided comment on the allegations.
For more information, visit https://example.com.
