Eric Ryder, who was an employee for Cameron's Lightstorm, claims he developed a project that became the basis for the big-budgeted sci-fi film.
- Dec 9, 2011
AceShowbiz - While enjoying the success of "Avatar", James Cameron has to face a lawsuit. The director of the highest-grossing movie of all time has been accused by his former employee of stealing his idea for the sci-fi movie.
In the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Eric Ryder who worked for Cameron's Lightstorm claims that he came up with a story called "K.R.Z. 2068" which is described as an "environmentally-themed 3-D epic about a corporation's colonization and plundering of a distant moon's lush and wondrous natural setting."
Ryder also says that he created treatments, photos, 3-D imagery and character elements for the project that was planned for the company. According to Ryder, he was told in 2002 they could not make the movie because no one would be interested to watch it.
Ryder additionally claimed he began working on the project in 1999. In his suit, the former employee says he contacted Cameron's camp to get recognition after "Avatar" was released in 2009, but his attempts were rebuffed.
The lawsuit alleges Cameron of breach of implied contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, interntional interference with prospective economic advantage and negligent interference with prospective advantage. Ryder is seeking unspecified damages.
Starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana among others, "Avatar" became a worldwide hit and grossed $2.8 billion from domestic and international ticket sales. Its two sequels are being developed with plans to shoot the two films back to back.
