MovieChat Forums > The Pretty One (2022) Discussion > Stolen Idea?

Stolen Idea?

posted 10 years ago by lnaleksis
4 replies | jump to latest

This film's premise is identical with a story I was showing to producers in London, England in 2009 and 2010. In the sense that anything is possible, I suppose it's possible that someone came up with the same exact idea independently. But seriously, the difference in the basic premise is that in my story the girls are called Annie and Kristina.

In the end I figured the story wouldn't make a very good movie, so I never finished the script, but I do have the synopsis, a short film script and an unfinished 50-page script from 2009 featuring basically the same exact premise.

My short script is completely about Kristina taking over the identity of her less troubled twin sister Annie, after they get into a car crash and Annie dies.

The full length script does have several other story lines as well, but it does feature that same premise as an integral part.

I never got a penny or even a "thanks for the free idea."

EDITED: I went over my old files to see what exactly I could find related to this story. Added details about the full length script.

[–] joaquin25 10 years ago

It's just a coincidence. In Q&A's Jenée has said that she started writing this script around 5 years before it was filmed in 2012. The other screenwriting fellows at AFI would be able to confirm that as well, since she said she work-shopped the script while attending from 2008-2010.

[–] doggie_rodriguez 10 years ago

I suppose it's possible that someone came up with the same exact idea independently.

There are only so many ideas out there, people are bound to come up with similar premises.

In the end I figured the story wouldn't make a very good movie, so I never finished the script

Well, you were wrong.

The full length script does have several other story lines as well..

Yeah, full length COMPLETED screenplays typically do have other storylines. Uncompleted scripts, like yours, usually don't b/c they aren't finished.

But seriously, the difference in the basic premise is that in my story the girls are called Annie and Kristina.

Another key difference is their script got finished, financed, and filmed. You stopped writing yours at page 50.

I never got a penny or even a "thanks for the free idea."

Probably b/c they didn't steal your idea.

You can't copyright a movie idea, you can only copyright the execution of the idea (i.e. the screenplay). Since your screenplay never got finished you would be laughed out of court.

Also, why were you pitching it to producers if...

1. it wasn't finished.
2. you didn't think it would be a very good film.

I'm sorry, but no one stole your idea.

[–] crazy_drunk_pedestrian 10 years ago

Read up on Carl Jung's collective unconscious concept. I had the idea for The Sixth Sense a year before it came out. Plenty of people have the same ideas as one another. I highly doubt there's any foul play involved here.

[–] doggie_rodriguez 10 years ago

Don't beat yourself up too bad, even if you had the idea a year before it came out, M Knight Shamamamamladlman came up with it years before that. Takes a long time to write a script, get funding, get locations, get actors/crew, shoot the film, edit the film, and release the film.

On average it takes about 7-8 years for a script first being written to it becoming a finished film. So he probably first had the idea back in 1992.