Disney Lashes Back At Original ‘Predator’ Scribes’ Hunt For Rights To 1987 Schwarzenegger Starrer - Deadline

“There now exists between the parties an actual and justiciable controversy concerning the validity of Notice One and 20th Century’s and defendants’ respective rights,” says Disney’s own court filing by the sharp-elbowed Daniel Petrocelli and his fellow lawyers at O’Melveny & Myers LLP (read it here).

As Deadline exclusively reported in November 2020, the now Disney-owned 20th Century Studios has eyed a fifth installment of the Predator franchsise be helmed by 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg from a script by Patrick Aison.

Copyright Office within the prescribed statutory window, a notice of termination with an effective termination date of April 17, 2021,” asserts a filing (read it here) seeking declaratory relief made in federal court Thursday against Disney and various subsidiaries.

Snagging almost $100 million at the box office, Predator spawned several more films.

“Then, in early January 2021, Defendants’ counsel unexpectedly contacted Plaintiffs’ counsel, contesting the Termination Notice as supposedly untimely, based on a theory that the 1986 Grant of the Screenplay underlying their Predator films allegedly qualified for the special, delayed termination time ‘window’ in 17 U.S.C.

This action is necessary because defendants are improperly attempting to prematurely terminate 20th Century’s rights to the Hunters Screenplay, at the very time that 20th Century is investing substantial time, money, and effort in developing another installment in its successful Predator franchise.”.