Showtime Hit With ‘Yellowjackets’ Idea Theft Lawsuit

Showtime Networks and Lionsgate’s Entertainment One have been drawn into a legal battle accusing them of ripping off a Ron Howard movie in Yellowjackets.

In a copyright infringement lawsuit filed on Nov. 14 in New York federal court, a company that holds the rights to survival thriller Eden alleges “strikingly similar elements” in the works. Both follow a soccer team whose members start to exhibit cult-like behavior and are forced to resort to cannibalism after crash landing in a remote location.

Eden, which stars Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney, was released in September, but the copyright for the film was registered in 2015. Showtime sensation Yellowjackets premiered in 2021 to critical acclaim. Its second season opener became the studio’s most-streamed debut ever, drawing roughly 2 million viewers across all platforms.

The lawsuit claims that “most substantive elements” of Yellowjackets are “copied” from Eden. Like the Emmy-nominated series, Eden starts with a plane crash of a top soccer team, with survivors initially banding together to survive harsh conditions before factions form. It also follows the emergence of a charismatic, demagogic leader who incites violence and an entourage featuring a coach, trainer, head coach’s child and a character of opposite gender to the team.

“In both works, the survivors, which include various players and the coach, among others, must fight for their lives against the harsh elements, starvation through dwindling resources, and the psychological toll of isolation in the form of growing darkness within themselves,” the complaint states. “As they struggle to survive, tensions rise, alliances form, dark secrets emerge, and moral boundaries are pushed to their limits—blurring the line between good and evil.”

The lawsuit stresses that the coaches in the movie and show suffer a series of similar traumatic events, including murder, cannibalism and death. Both works blend suspense, horror, drama and dark comedy, according to the complaint. And while there are moments of intense action and conflict, the overall paces are “methodical, focusing on the characters’ struggles and their evolving relationships,” alleges the lawsuit, which notes that the slow-burn approach “allows the audience to empathize with the characters and fully appreciate the deteriorating circumstances.”

Additionally, both works emphasize themes of survival and adaptation, morality, cult mentality, self-discovery and the fragility of civilization, according to the complaint.

Eden Film Production, which brings a claim for copyright infringement, seeks unspecified damages and an injunction barring the makers of Yellowjackets from further exploiting the series. Showtime and Lionsgate didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.