A screenwriter has filed a copyright infringement go well with towards Netflix over the movie “Rez Ball,” although the movie was already shot by the point he shared his screenplay.
Rob Grabow alleges that the movie shares unmistakable similarities along with his script, entitled “The Present of Sport.” Each are tales about Native American highschool basketball gamers who compete for the state championship.
“Rez Ball” premiered on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition and was launched on Netflix in September. It was co-written by Sterlin Harjo (“Reservation Canine”) and produced by LeBron James. It was impressed by “Canyon Desires: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation,” a 2019 guide by Michael Powell, who shadowed the Chinle, Ariz., group in the course of the 2016-17 season.
In line with a press release from the New Mexico Movie Workplace, the movie was shot in numerous places within the state in Might 2023.
Widespread on Selection
Grabow alleges in his lawsuit that roughly 9 months later, in early 2024, he shared his script with a number of individuals who have been buddies with Harjo or have been linked to him professionally.
“The Present of Sport” was registered with the U.S. Copyright Workplace on Jan. 25, 2024, and was written in 2023, in response to the registration. Grabow states that he drew on his personal experiences in basketball and appearing to inform the story of a mixed-race group with a Native American star.
In line with the go well with, Grabow held a number of conversations in 2024 with potential collaborators who finally determined to not become involved with the undertaking. He additionally despatched the script to varied producers and actors, some with connections to Harjo.
The lawsuit cites a sequence of alleged similarities between “Rez Ball” and “The Present of Sport,” together with the climactic endings.
Devin McRae, the lawyer who represents Grabow, argued that even when his script was shared after principal images on “Rez Ball” wrapped, in Might 2023, there should be infringement.
“We don’t know for positive that principal images was full then, but when it have been, the 16-month interval between then and the movie’s launch would allow loads of time to make vital modifications in post-production by, e.g., enhancing, choose up pictures, re-shoots or voiceover,” McRae stated by e mail.
Netflix declined to remark.
