Sci-fi geeks have been telling about it for weeks, but the similarities between Michael Bay‘s "The Island" and Robert Fiveson‘s "Parts: The Clonus Horror" are about to be aired in a federal court … barring a quick settlement, of course.
The producers of the 1979 sci-fi indie flick are suing DreamWorks and WB, stating that "The Island" is more than just a little similar to their low-budget film. ""Clonus," produced by Myrl A. Schreibman and Robert S. Fiveson, who also helmed, tells the story of a secret colony of clones who are told they will one day go to a utopian place called "America." They’re actually being raised in case their human counterparts need spare organs. One of the clones escapes into Southern California and is chased as he tries to expose the facility.
In "The Island," helmed by Michael Bay, the clones are similarly raised as a source of spare parts for humans and two clones escape into the real world, a futuristic Los Angeles, and try to shut down the cloning facility."
Variety also indicates that Warner Bros. is staying mum of the lawsuit, while a DreamWorks rep offered this explanation: "’The Island’ was independently created and does not infringe anyone’s copyrights."
But the "Clonus" producers reportedly have about 90 specific instances in which they feel the similarities between the films are much more than coincidental. Many might look to "The Island’"s original screenwriter, one Caspian Tredwell-Owen, or the pair of secondary writers, Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, for a few answers.
Produced for approximately $120 million, "The Island" has grossed only $55 million worldwide so far.
