The Matrix: Restolen

DapperGent

Apparently the Wachowksi brothers didn't write the Matrix. A woman called Sophia Stewart has just won a court battle to claim credit for the script:

http://www.slccglobelink.com/news/2004/10/28/Entertainment/mother.Of.The.Matrix.Victorious-785067.shtml

ObeyGiant

I have serious problems with this story.

First of all is the lack of support for this. So far, I've only found a couple of sites on the internet that are carrying this story. One is the slcglobelink.com site that you posted, and the other is "Da Ghetto Tymz" (http://www.daghettotymz.com/matrix/matrix.html), which looks like it was written by H-Dogg from theonion.

If you read her supposed screenplay (http://www.949zht.com/matrix/index.html), you'll see how it's basically just a bunch of bible stories anyway.

I dunno. To me, it all reeks, so I'm calling bullshit on the whole thing.

DapperGent

Somewhat better link:

http://www.daghettotymz.com/matrix/motherofmatrix.html

Still from Da Ghetto Tymz but written in proper English.

I dunno if it's bullshít or not but the quote about the fibbies seems quite damning:

During an FBI investigation, key pieces of evidence were found establishing Sophia Stewart as writer/author of "Matrix". Credible witnesses employed at Warner Brothers have come forward claiming company executives and lawyers had full knowledge the work in question did not belong to the Wachowski brothers. Witnesses also stated the original work of Stewart had been seen, and often used, during preparation of the motion picture.

Obey do you have a link to her original script? Can't find it anywhere.

ObeyGiant

I didn't mean to make it sound like I wasn't trusting "Da Ghetto Tymz" simply because it was written badly, rather because it's unknown and seems to me to be a less-than-objective source of information. As a matter of fact, almost all of the places I've seen covering this (almost all blogs or forums, no media coverage at all) have been trying to turn this into a race issue. Which again leads me to call bullshit on this whole thing.

The first couple of pages of her screenplay are available through that second link I posted.. on page seven or so (Direct Link)

DapperGent

Yeah I'm finding the "racification" of the story irritating in the extreme. It's about IP theft or oppurtunistic lieing. Nowt else.

It does seem a little thin. But if that comic book page is from her 1983 submition then we have "Neo", "Trinity" and a "red pill" linked to knowledge all on one page.

http://www.949zht.com/matrix/index10.html

Which is a huge co-inky-dink, if she's spinning a yarn. I dunno, it's interesting though.

BlitzKrieg

why is she sueing over the terminator films aswell?

-tried reading full article but its asking me to register and i cant be arsed to.

ObeyGiant

-- screw it, even the google cache isn't working --

I've no idea why she's got a beef with the Terminator movies. Except I do know two things:
1. Jim Cameron already settled out-of-court with Harlan Ellison because two of his stories were a direct influence on the Terminator movies (subsequent prints of the Terminator list Ellison in the credits).
2. (IANAL, but here's what I've figured from the PDFs on daghettotymez) The statute of limitations on this sucker is three years - meaning that because the Terminator originally came out in 1984, she had until 1987 to begin legal procedings against Cameron. Since the Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 were based on Terminator 1, they're covered by Terminator 1's statute of limitations.

She claims that she didn't do anything about the Terminator because she "didn't know" about those movies until she started legal procedings against the Wachowskis/Warner - one of the initial letters sent by Warner execs politely told her that her screenplay dealt with universal themes that were present in the Bible, Star Wars and The Terminator movies, to name a few. So here's my question... she's a graduate of USC film school (same place as George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg); she was beginning to get involved with filmmaking, screenwriting and film copyright in 1983, one year before the Terminator was released... how on Earth do you miss one of the largest movie releases of the 80s for 20 years? Especially when your apparent specialty is "sci-fi" screenwriting.

Reeks to high heaven.

projectmayhem

this woman is amazing. she wrote all matrix films (she first claimed to have written the matrix but her "case" showed her attempt to register it 2 years after the wachowski's registered the script) and the terminator films! she's also wrote harry potter...

mayordenis

i definately believe she wrote i yes em

rabbitinlights

To be truthful apart from the money, I wouldnt own up to writing the last 2 films........


Sean

ED-209

That's complete crap !!!

I wrote the Matrix films with help from Osama Bin Laden and I'm going to sue her.

projectmayhem

yes well i wrote lord of the rings so ha

ED-209

projectmayhem wrote:

yes well i wrote lord of the rings so ha

NO YOU DIDN'T , I DID. :mad:

See you in court matey !!!

Chad ghostal

I was about to call shenanigans on this whole thing..
but after reading it does seem very odd,
iv seen it in a few places, www.matrix-explained.com forums have been bitching and discussing it all morning it seems..

and the fact that the feds were involved (alledgedly) and she WON.
gives it bIg weight..

ObeyGiant

Well, you see, that's the thing, she didn't win. The article in slcglobelink (which is, let's not forget, the newsletter of a community college) is an almost verbatim reprint of one of Sophia Stewart's press releases saying that she has gotten it taken to court. The trial hasn't even begun yet, and she's a long way off winning.

One other thing I thought of regarding this case - since she's suing James Cameron for the Terminator, and James Cameron already got sued by Harlan Ellison... Can't Harlan Ellison sue her?

Chad ghostal

ObeyGiant wrote:

the newsletter of a community college is an almost verbatim reprint of one of Sophia Stewart's press releases saying that she has gotten it taken to court. The trial hasn't even begun yet, and she's a long way off winning.

AhHHHhh...that makes MUCH more sense.. shouldve read closer..

ObeyGiant

DapperGent wrote:

It does seem a little thin. But if that comic book page is from her 1983 submition then we have "Neo", "Trinity" and a "red pill" linked to knowledge all on one page.

http://www.949zht.com/matrix/index10.html

Which is a huge co-inky-dink, if she's spinning a yarn. I dunno, it's interesting though.

Oh..

Doing a bit of research and I found out that the two comic-book pages from that site are actually from a Matrix comic book, and she has them up there to prove how she has been ripped off. hence the "Neo", "Trinity" and "red pill" things.

Roar

rabbitinlights wrote:

To be truthful apart from the money, I wouldnt own up to writing the last 2 films........


Sean

ha ha,that gave me a laugh at the end of a long day in work

woosaysdan

she also wrote this post :EEK: