Paramount faces blockbuster lawsuit over Top Gun copyright breach
Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster hit is facing its own blockbuster lawsuit after the family of the writer whose article inspired the 1986 original hit sues film maker Paramount.
Relatives of Ehud Yonay have argued that Paramount did not reacquire the rights to the magazine story the movie was based on for the Top Gun: Maverick sequel released last month.
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles this week, they argued that the franchise would not have existed without Ehud’s “literary efforts and evocative prose and narrative” and state Paramount lost the copyright for the article in January 2020.
They are seeking unspecified damages from the studio, including profits.
Paramount has said the claim was “without merit” and will defend itself against the proceedings. Cruise’s latest cinema hit raked in $548m (£438m) globally in its first 10 days alone.
The sequel to the 1986 film was originally due to be released back in June 2020, but has shifted multiple times due to Covid measures.