Tess Gerritsen, who wrote the books that TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles series is based on, has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Warner Bros., claiming that the 2013 hit Gravity is actually based on her 1999 novel of the same name. This is a major switch for Gerritsen, who previously said that the film’s plot was nothing like her book’s.
Gravity the novel does feature a female scientist who gets stranded in space alone after the rest of her crew is killed. While that is similar to Alfonso Cuaron’s seven-time Oscar winner, Deadline notes that Gerritsen said in an October interview with the Banner Graphic that “it is not based on my book.” However, Gerritsen apparently has changed her mind and filed a lawsuit against the studio on Tuesday.
According to Variety, Gerritsen claims that her book was bought by Katja Motion Picture Corp., a company under New Line Cinema, which is also now under Warner Bros. She said that Katja paid her $1 million for the screen rights before the book was published. She even said that Cuaron was attached to direct the film, although she was not aware of it then.
After 2002, Cuaron and his son Jonas collaborated on the Gravity screenplay. In 2008, Warner Bros. acquired the rights to Gerritsen’s book after it officially took full control of New Line. She is seeking $10 million in damages, but she could be looking for more, since the film grossed $716 million worldwide.
Warner Bros. has not commented on the suit.