Hollywood screenwriter Royce Mathew is suing numerous parties involved in the creation of the hit film "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl." Mathew claims that he created and wrote original works in the 80s and 90s, including drawings, screenplays, and storyboards, all centred around a "Super Natural Pirate Movie" (SNPM) theme. He asserts that his works featured a pirate ship named the Black Pearl and an original design for a medallion, both of which were central elements in his screenplay. Mathew registered his drawings and screenplay with the U.S. Copyright Office.
According to the lawsuit, Mathew's screenplay included characters such as a blacksmith/swordsman named Will Turner, an eccentric pirate captain, and a cursed crew, whose curse was only revealed in the moonlight.
Mathew alleges that he presented his materials between 1991 and 1995 to various defendants, including the William Morris Agency and Creative Artist Agency, but claims they were ultimately rejected. He argues that the success of the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film used his work as a blueprint. The film grossed $655 million worldwide.
Mathew is suing several parties, including The Walt Disney Company, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Touchstone Home Video, Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc., and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Inc. He is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction to prohibit the defendants from publicly displaying the movie. Additionally, he is requesting that all copies of the film under the defendants' control be impounded. While the lawsuit does not explicitly mention the subsequent "Pirates" sequels, it does seek an injunction against the first film and other potentially infringing works.
A spokesperson for Disney has stated that the lawsuit has no merit.
