Guy Ritchie is reportedly being sued for alleged breach of contract over his film ‘The Gentlemen’.
The 54-year-old director is facing a claim from writer Mickey De Hara he copied scenes in the hit starring Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey from a script he had submitted to the filmmaker.
A lawsuit filed last month at London’s High Court and seen by Variety shows
Mickey alleges Guy commissioned him to write a sequel to the 2008 gangster film ‘RockNRolla’, which was apparently based on Mickey’s “personal life experiences” as he was once convicted of possession of cocaine and cannabis “with intent to supply”, for which he faced jail time.
But Mickey said ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ director Guy told him “the time of the gangster movie was over” after he sent him his script about an anti-hero who runs a marijuana business and suggested a future project wouldn’t go ahead.
Guy’s ‘The Gentlemen’ is a gangster flick that follows a drug lord played by Matthew, who tries to sell his weed empire.
Mickey claims his script featured a character called The Coach who led a group of thugs called The Baby Squad – with Colin Farrell’s ‘Coach’ character doing the same in ‘The Gentlemen’ with a gang called The Toddlers.
Variety reports Mickey texted Guy after the film was released in 2019 to say how similar the plot was to his screenplay.
Guy is said to have responded: “Mickey, I and my people have tried to contact you for some years now.
“There was no response. I am happy for us to sit down and have a chat.”
Mickey claims there was no contact made before the film came out.
The writer’s suit adds Guy turned down his request for a writer’s credit on ‘The Gentlemen’, but offered him one on a later film he was not a part of.
It claims Guy texted: “I have a feeling that might be too late Mickey. I’ll try, but what I can do is get you a credit on something in the future. Let me see what I can do. Honestly, we did try to get hold of you.”
Mickey insists he “has no intention of seeking credit for original work that was not created by him” and is seeking $250,000 damages and credit for his “original work that has been used in ‘The Gentlemen’ without his consent and without payment of the agreed remuneration”.
Along with Guy, the writers on ‘The Gentlemen’ are credited as Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies.
Guy is reportedly still to file his defence to the lawsuit.
