Top 10 Recent Movies That Caused HUGE Lawsuits

#10: The Estate Lawsuit

“Top Gun: Maverick” (2022)
36 years after the original smash hit, 2022 saw the release of “Top Gun: Maverick.” While it dominated at the box office, behind the scenes, Paramount Pictures wasn’t having a good time. After all, it was issued with a lawsuit from the estate of Ehud Yonay[a]. He’d originally written an article in a magazine in 1983 on which the first film was based. However, while he’s since passed away, Yonay’s family believed the copyright had expired in 2020, and the rights reverted to them. They also alleged Paramount knew this and had ignored it. However, the studio claimed production was completed before the 35-year copyright law expired. In 2024, a judge dismissed the suit.

#9: Producer Problem

“The Deb” (2024)
Based on the musical, Rebel Wilson made her film directing debut with 2024’s “The Deb.” However, rather than celebrate this achievement, the film was upstaged by the drama behind the scenes before it was released. Wilson dropped a video on Instagram criticizing some of its producers by claiming they blocked the production’s viewing at the Toronto Film Festival, harassed the lead Charlotte MacInnes[b], and embezzled money from its budget. Yikes. However, MacInnes then issued a statement against Wilson’s allegations. Regardless, this led to the producers issuing a defamation lawsuit against Wilson, who soon responded with a countersuit. In November 2024, Wilson attempted to get the producers’ suit thrown out, but it wasn’t successful.

#8: The Missing Actor

“Yesterday” (2019)
Have you ever watched a film’s trailer, been inspired to watch it, and then felt the trailer was misleading? Well, if so, you have something in common with Conor Woulfe and Peter Rosza[c]. 2019’s “Yesterday” featured a trailer that had Cuban-Spanish actor Ana de Armas. However, her character was dropped from the final cut. Yet, Woulfe and Rosza based their online $3.99 rental of the movie on de Armas’s involvement. In 2022, the duo issued a lawsuit against the movie’s distributor, Universal Pictures, for $5 million. While the suit rocked the industry with fears that others could do the same, in 2023, a judge dismissed the case. In 2024, Woulfe and Rosza settled with Universal for legal fees.

#7: Not So Happy Copyright Day

“Happy Death Day” (2017) & “Happy Death Day 2U” (2019)
The 2017 slasher-comedy film “Happy Death Day” became a surprise hit at the box office. Like a messed up “Groundhog Day,” it features the Babyface killer wearing an unsettling infant-esque mask. Well, for the NBA team, the New Orleans[d] Pelicans, that creepy mask seemed very familiar. Designed by Johnson Berticelli[e], King Cake Baby is the team’s seasonal mascot. Upon seeing the similar design in “Happy Death Day” and its sequel “Happy Death Day 2U,” Berticelli issued a lawsuit against distributor Universal Pictures and production company Blumhouse Productions for copyright infringement. He sought half of the net proceeds from both films and 50% interest in all future distributions. In 2021, the case was settled out of court.

#6: Road House AI

“Road House” (2024)
In 2023, the screen business was rocked when the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes took place. Along with various issues, one concern was the use of artificial intelligence taking over from humans in production. Well, after the “Road House” reboot in 2024, that issue seemingly came back into play. Shortly before its release on Amazon Prime, the screenwriter for the original 1989 version, R. Lance Hill, issued a suit against Amazon Studios and production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer[f] Pictures. He claimed the film had violated copyright law and, to get around the SAG-AFTRA strike to meet a deadline, had used AI to replicate actors’ voices. Amazon responded with a countersuit, claiming Hill knew he didn’t have the rights to the franchise as he was a work-for-hire employee.

#5: Super Suit

“Superman” (2025)
After Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster[g] created the comic book character of Superman in 1938, the duo was locked in a constant lawsuit battle against DC Comics and Warner Bros. for copyrights to the characters. Even after Siegel and Shuster passed away in 1996 and 1992, respectively, their estates have taken on the mission. With 2025 set to release the newest cinematic version of Superman, Shuster’s estate issued a suit against Warner Bros. Discovery to block its distribution in some territories, claiming that international laws meant the rights to certain territories belonged to them. WBD and DC have since requested the suit be dismissed, citing their belief this issue had already been resolved in their long legal history.

#4: Bucky Moana

“Moana” (2016) & “Moana 2” (2024)
When 2016’s “Moana” dropped, many liked the original approach Disney took. But not Buck Woodall[h]. After all, he claims he made a script and trailer in the 2000s called “Bucky,” which followed a Polynesian teen defying parental expectations and going on a voyage. He’d shown the project to Jenny Marchick, the former Mandeville Films director of development, who had a first-look deal with Disney. In 2020, Woodall tried to sue those involved previously. It was dismissed due to exceeding the statute of limitations on copyright. Well, with “Moana 2,” Woodall issued a copyright claim requesting $10 billion in damages plus 2.5% of the film’s future revenue and related products. However, the trial’s jury sided with Disney.

#3: Streaming Suit

“Black Widow” (2021)
With 2021’s “Black Widow,” Scarlett Johansson was probably hoping for an emotional farewell to the character she’d portrayed for over a decade. Well, she did get that, although anger and betrayal weren’t the emotions she was probably looking for. Due to the pandemic, “Black Widow’s” release was delayed several times. However, while being shown in cinemas, it also went to the streaming service Disney+. This sparked Johannsson to sue the company as her contract stated the release would be in cinemas only, and she would get a hefty portion of its box office. In her view, this streaming decision would slash her potential earnings. A couple of months later, the suit was settled, with Johansson reportedly getting $40 million.

#2: The Stuntwoman Suit

“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” (2016)
Stunt performers are the backbone of the film industry. One such person is Olivia Jackson. In 2015, she was performing a last-minute motorbike stunt in bad weather, filling in for star Milla Jovovich[i] on “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.” However, when a camera crane failed to move, Jackson crashed into it. The South African suffered many horrible injuries, and it was touch-and-go whether she’d pull through. Thankfully, Jackson did. However, due to the severity of the injury to her left arm, it had to be amputated. In 2019, Jackson sued the film’s producers for prioritizing cost-cutting over cast and crew safety, as well as misleading her on the coverage in the production’s insurance. In 2020, she won the case in a South African court.

#1: The Chaotic Lawsuit

“It Ends With Us” (2024)
No film’s release has been as vastly overshadowed by what went on behind the scenes as 2024’s “It Ends with Us.” Shortly after its debut, director/actor Justin Baldoni[j] was missing from events as reports stated there was a rift between him and co-star Blake Lively. There were claims Baldoni had body shamed Lively and committed several misconduct actions. With these reports, the director hired a PR crisis team to cope with the scandal. Several months after the film’s release, Lively issued a legal complaint against Baldini for harassment as she claimed he was behind a campaign to discredit her. This led to her suing Baldoni in 2025. The director fired back with a countersuit, requesting $400 million from Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.


Like the “Yesterday” fans, if you could sue any film for a misleading trailer, which production would you pick? Let us know below!

[a]AY-hood https://youtu.be/EkvXMuaMg4Y?si=SEEjh9HSaMWkejLm&t=195

yoh-NYE https://youtu.be/EkvXMuaMg4Y?si=vCdodwVWiooj3YuF&t=84
[b]SHAR-lut muh-KIN-niss https://youtu.be/LEVwsXekTVo?si=RQySrI-xu3qb_ftb&t=86
[c]presumably wolf
ROH-suh?
anna day ARR-mahss https://youtu.be/s1UhSZRNS80?si=H0BDWGD9-1HIGNqx&t=13
[d]new ORE-linz not new ore-LEENS
[e]I can't find this but presumably burta-CHELLY
BLUMM-house ("blum" rhymes with "dumb") https://youtu.be/jy7b1H1tsSk?si=3O8Nwc3Bn3c7tQ3d&t=35
[f]MAY-ur https://forvo.com/search/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/
[g]SEE-gle https://youtu.be/GbaBBuaGYGY?si=8_h7JLoyD7ogNR1Z&t=177
SHOO-stir https://youtu.be/eTUrFYU2e_I?si=j_fGia_LlXJTlb2o&t=154
[h]WOOD-awl https://youtu.be/1ffKICkL9fY?si=-5oZ_hzJFGnfTyB_&t=16
MAR-chick https://youtu.be/1arSfHlzFsI?si=G12mNe3xMA4AjZ4V&t=93
MANDA-ville https://youtu.be/8-0A9TBWLnc?si=MKqeCv0TKAJoyyyq&t=128
[i]Mee-luh YO-VO-VITCH https://youtu.be/FWojTa8oQw4?t=8
[j]bal-DOH-nee (not bawl-doh-nee) https://youtu.be/GDQ9hF56UsA?si=Wh5FEv-K-IUG7qu4