Simon Stephenson, a screenwriter with notable works like “Luca” and “Paddington 2” under his belt, accuses “The Holdovers” of plagiarism, Variety reported Saturday.
Stephenson made these allegations in a series of emails to the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) senior director of credits Lesley Mackey that were obtained by Variety. He claims that “The Holdovers” director, Alexander Payne, essentially copied his unproduced screenplay “Frisco,” which circulated in Hollywood circles a decade ago.
“The evidence the holdovers screenplay has been plagiarised line-by-line from frisco is genuinely overwhelming – anybody who looks at even the briefest sample pretty much invariably uses the word ‘brazen,’” Stephenson reportedly said in the email, according to Variety.
Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’ Accused of Plagiarism by ‘Luca’ Writer (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/ELO8JGgQFC
— Variety (@Variety) March 9, 2024
“Frisco,” which reached the third spot on the industry’s “black list” of promising unmade scripts in 2013, allegedly shares an uncanny resemblance with “The Holdovers.” He suggests that Payne had access to his script during its circulation and again before starting work on “The Holdovers,” Variety reported.
“Frisco’s” narrative about a grumpy children’s hospital worker and his bond with a 15-year-old student reportedly mirrors “The Holdovers,” where Paul Giamatti portrays a prep-school teacher spending Christmas break with a troubled teenager and the school’s cafeteria manager, Variety stated. Stephenson’s comparison of the two works extends to scenes, sequences, and dialogues.
Following his emails to Mackey, he also sent an email to the WGA board, according to Variety.
“I can demonstrate beyond any possible doubt that the meaningful entirety of the screenplay for a film with WGA-sanctioned credits that is currently on track to win a screenwriting Oscar has been plagiarised line-by-line from a popular unproduced screenplay of mine,” he said, Variety reported. “I can also show that the director of the offending film was sent and read my screenplay on two separate occasions prior to the offending film entering development.” (RELATED: Old School Hollywood Types Have Rare Chance To Reclaim Lost Glory And Award Some Badass Movies)
Despite these accusations, the WGA has reportedly advised Stephenson that this matter falls outside its jurisdiction, and suggested litigation as the most feasible recourse. Meanwhile, “The Holdovers” continues its Oscar campaign, nominated for five awards including Best Original Screenplay, according to New York Post. Both Stephenson and Payne have remained silent on the matter, with no comments made to the press regarding these allegations.