A New York playwright has filed a lawsuit claiming $US20 million ($NZ29 million) in damages and seeking to block this week's opening in movie theaters of 'Barbershop: The Next Cut', the fourth of a series of comedies that he claims rips off his stage play 'Scissors'.
The lawsuit was filed by Ronald Dickerson, a writer, actor and film director also known as JD Lawrence, against Time Warner Inc, Warner Brothers Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc and Showtime Networks Inc.
Time Warner, Showtime Networks and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios all were not immediately available for comment. Warner Bros declined to comment.
The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Manhattan, seeks an injunction blocking the release of the film, claiming the plot, themes, characters and situation bear an overwhelming resemblance to those of 'Scissors', a stage play that toured in cities around the country from 1998-2001.
'Barbershop: The Next Cut', which stars Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve and Nicki Minaj, is the latest of a series of films about the owners of a Chicago barbershop and an Atlanta beauty salon, their employees and neighbourhood problems such as gangs and gentrification.
Lawrence's play is about the proprietors of a barbershop and hair salon in a predominantly African-American neighborhood, and events in the community around the business.
The case is Ronald Dickerson aka JD Lawrence vs Time Warner Inc et al, US District Court, Southern District Court Of New York, No 16-02695.
