Truman Capote charity suing Paramount over 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' rights
Paramount has not commented on the lawsuit.
The rights to Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's is the topic of a Los Angeles Superior Courtroom lawsuit.
The right to do a prequel or sequel to Breakfast at Tiffany's, or even a television series inspired by the 1961 film classic, is the subject of a new lawsuit filed on Wednesday against Paramount Pictures, reports Deadline.
A few years before he died, Truman Capote, who wrote the 1958 novella that serves as the movie's basis, set up a charitable trust. Now, Alan Schwartz, the trustee of the charity, alleges that rights to the property reverted to Capote's Executor upon his death in 1984 and then was transferred to the charity.
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Since no movie was made, Schwartz claims ownership. According to the complaint, Paramount contests.
"In 1991, Plaintiff and the Capote Estate entered into an agreement with Paramount, whereby Paramount optioned certain sequel and prequel rights, among others, with respect to the film," states the complaint. "The agreement provided that, if a motion picture was not produced within a certain amount of time, the rights would revert back to Plaintiff."
No film was made, so the complaint claims the rights are back with the trust. Paramount claims it had no obligation to make the film, but purchased the right to do so for $300,000.
The lawsuit claims it has been approached by numerous producers who have interest in developing a television series based on the novella. Paramount claims it intends to do a film and sell it to a streamer.
Paramount has not commented on the lawsuit.
