Director Alexander Payne sued for plagiarism over The Holdovers script
Director Alexander Payne has been sued for plagiarism by screenwriter Simon Stephenson, who alleges that the film The Holdovers was stolen from his own script, Frisco. Stephenson is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against the film's distribution, claiming Payne had access to his work prior to the production of the 2023 movie.
Director Alexander Payne is facing a plagiarism lawsuit filed by screenwriter Simon Stephenson in a California court. Stephenson claims that the Oscar-nominated 2023 film The Holdovers was stolen from his own original screenplay titled Frisco. According to the complaint, Payne had access to the Frisco script in both 2013 and 2019, shortly before developing The Holdovers with writer David Hemingson. Stephenson argues that the plot of the film is substantially similar to his work, with only minor adjustments made to conceal the copying.
The lawsuit seeks an undisclosed amount in damages and aims to halt the further distribution of the film. The legal action names Payne, Hemingson, the production company, and the film's distributors as defendants. The Holdovers, which stars Paul Giamatti as a boarding school teacher, received five Academy Award nominations in 2024, with Da'Vine Joy Randolph winning for her supporting role. The outcome of the case remains pending as the legal dispute over the script's origin continues to develop.
Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
