Netflix in legal trouble again as LeBron James and streamer sued for 'stealing script'
Netflix and LeBron James have found themselves at the center of a legal storm after filmmaker Rob Grabow filed a lawsuit accusing the streaming giant and James’ production company of stealing his screenplay idea, as reported by TMZ on Thursday, November 14. The suit, filed in a California federal court, claims that Netflix and James’ company, The SpringHill Company, allegedly took Grabow’s concept, repackaging it into the 2024 Netflix film 'Rez Ball'.
Grabow alleges that his screenplay, 'The Gift of the Game', shares multiple plots and thematic similarities with 'Rez Ball', a drama about a Native American high school basketball team in New Mexico. Grabow contends that his screenplay originally detailed the struggles of a Native American teenager fighting to lead his team to a state championship, touching on critical themes of race, community, and poverty, as per TMZ.
Rob Gabrow sues Netflix and LeBron James over 'Rez Ball'
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According to the lawsuit, Grabow claims he initially shared his concept with individuals connected to Netflix, seeking to develop 'The Gift of the Game' into a feature film. He also stated that Netflix later reached out to LeBron James, setting in motion a chain of events that led to The SpringHill Company "ripping off" his idea.
Grabow argues that 'Rez Ball' reflects his original work far more closely than its claimed inspiration, the nonfiction book 'Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation' by Michael Powell.
The IMDb description for 'Rez Ball' emphasizes the journey of a Native American basketball team facing the odds after losing their star player, a narrative Grabow believes is nearly identical to his own. The filmmaker cites particular scenes, including the climax of the film, where the protagonist is fouled while attempting a game-winning shot, as direct evidence of the alleged copying.
How similar are 'Rez Ball' and 'The Gift of the Game'?
Grabow claims that the similarities between his work and 'Rez Ball' are too significant to be coincidental."There are numerous substantially and strikingly similar concrete and expressive elements in the two works’ plot, theme, dialogue, mood, setting, pace, characters and sequence of events," he wrote in his suit. Grabow calls 'The Gift of the Game' "a powerful basketball film that deals with issues of community, race relations, and poverty," underscoring his belief that 'Rez Ball' mirrors his own story and themes.
Despite his accusations, 'Rez Ball' has achieved both critical and popular acclaim, holding a 94% rating from critics and an 80% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, Grabow is moving forward with his legal claims, suing Netflix and SpringHill for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and other grievances, seeking unspecified damages.
What’s next for Netflix and LeBron’s SpringHill Company?
As Grabow pushes for justice, Netflix and The SpringHill Company must defend how they developed their movie, which they say was inspired by the book Canyon Dreams. This lawsuit could bring more attention to how Hollywood and streaming companies handle ideas originally pitched by independent creators. Cases like this might also spark questions about the fairness and legal practices around how scripts and movie ideas are developed in the industry.