Less than one week before the Academy Awards, Guillermo del Toro, Fox Searchlight and others associated with the nominated film “The Shape of Water” are being sued for copyright infringement. Specifically, the children of late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Zindel claim the film is “indisputably derived” from the 1969 play “Let Me Hear You Whisper.” The play’s main narrative focuses on a lonely cleaning woman who bonds with then attempts to rescue a dolphin from a research facility where she works. Identically, an inter-species romantic relationship develops between the main character of “The Shape of Water,” Elisa, and “The Asset” in the film. The complaint also cites shared minor but memorable elements. Plaintiffs allege the film’s producer Daniel Kraus has previously stated on the record that he envisioned the concept for the movie the same year an adaptation of “Let Me Hear You Whisper” aired on national television. Moreover, Guillermo del Toro collects original drawings by Stephen Gammell, the illustrator for the 1974 publication of the play. However, del Toro claims to have never read nor seen the play. The complaint alleges defendants never sought to obtain a license from plaintiffs of motion picture and ancillary rights to the play nor was Zindel credited. Fox Searchlight issued a statement asserting the baselessness of the claims and noting the interesting timing right before the Oscars voting cycle ends, suggesting the suit is a mere attempt to pressure the studio to settle quickly. #omnilegalgroup #copyright #academyawards
