Just like Kevin McClory and James Bond, it seems whenever there is a Superman project in the offing, somebody from Joseph Shuster’s family appears with a lawsuit. The overseas release of James Gunn’s new Superman film was the target here.
The wide-ranging lawsuit, filed in February by Shuster’s nephew Warren Peary, claimed infringement of copyright laws in the U.K., Australia, Canada and Ireland, plus some others. If underway, or successful, it could have delayed the release in those territories.
The filing states that the studio does not have the right to release the movie in any territories that are part of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is the association of nations that were part of the British Empire. Many still have the British King as the Head Of State, and their legal systems are closely tied to British common law.
The filing was submitted in the Southern District of New York. It sought damages for copyright infringement in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It also aimed to settle the ownership dispute.
As told by The Hollywood Reporter, a court ruling late last week has dismissed the lawsuit, just like it has every time this has been tried.
The suit had aimed to obtain profits from Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Black Adam, and Shazam! too. What profits?
In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman dismissed arguments from Peary that the lawsuit raises an alleged violation of U.S. law that must be considered to decide the case.
A Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson said:
“As we have consistently maintained, DC controls all rights to Superman.”
This is likely not to be the last time a lawsuit is filed around those Superman rights. Defence must be built into every new movie’s budget.