Reese Witherspoon produced the movie Gone Girl and hit the jackpot with both critical acclaim and commercial success. Now, a screenwriter named Leslie Weller has sued Witherspoon, claiming that the movie and the book on which it was based have been lifted from her original screenplay titled “Out of the Blue,” which she wrote and submitted in 2005. Although Witherspoon started out as an actress, she also produces movies if she gets a good enough script. Weller is determined to fight the matter until the very end.
Millions of people checked out the movie Gone Girl when it was released in theaters in 2014. Gone Girl is an American psychological thriller starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike in the lead roles and is based on the book of the same name, written by Gillian Flynn.
The movie is set in Missouri and begins as a mystery that follows the events surrounding Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and the disappearance of his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). Dunne becomes the primary suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife, and what happens later is simply riveting.
Acclaimed director David Fincher helmed the movie, and talented actress Reese Witherspoon produced it. It was both a critical and commercial success, eventually grossing $369.0 million worldwide.
The movie was also nominated for major awards, including Oscars and Golden Globes. And, everyone associated with it got accolades for it, especially Reese Witherspoon.
However, a writer named Leslie Weller has now thrown a spanner in the works. She has sued Witherspoon, claiming that both the movie and the novel are a rip-off of her own original screenplay.
Original Screenplay Allegedly Ripped Off
Weller claims that she wrote an original screenplay called “Out of the Blue” way back in 2005 and sent a copy to a script consultant, which she believes set the wheels in motion for someone to hijack her work. She says that the book Gone Girl, which was released in 2012, is a direct rip-off of her original screenplay.
The screenwriter has pointed out some similarities between the book/movie and her screenplay, which in her opinion, clearly shows that the film is similar to her work. Weller says that both her screenplay and the novel are structured in the same way. For example, in the beginning, everyone sympathizes with Amy and hates Dunne, and by the end, you hate both of them.
Weller also says that both her screenplay and the film feature a scene with a hammer that leads the audience to believe that Dunne might hurt his wife, Amy.
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An Actress-Turned-Film Producer
Weller is suing the book’s author Gillian Flynn and the movie’s director David Fincher, as well, so it’s not just Witherspoon getting the heat. Weller says that the film Gone Girl is based on the 2012 book of the same name, but the book itself comes from her original screenplay, Out of the Blue, which she wrote in 2005.
Even though Witherspoon started out as a dramatic actress, she has turned to producing, as well. Some of the movies that Witherspoon has produced or co-produced are Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Penelope, Gone Girl, Wild, and Hot Pursuit. However, Gone Girl is the movie that really put Witherspoon on the map and earned her acclaim behind the camera, instead of in front of it.
Reese Witherspoon’s net worth is reportedly over $120.0 million, and she has become a sharp producer with a good eye for good scripts. But now, she is facing a lawsuit thanks to Leslie Weller.
Reese Witherspoon has not commented on this lawsuit so far, but if Leslie Weller takes it forward, we might see a statement from the film makers shortly.
