This is an idea theft case based on the idea behind “Creed” the movie, a spinoff of the famous Rocky movies.
Jarrett Alexander alleged that he came up with the idea for Creed, drafted the screenplay, and put together a pitch reel that he initially posted on Vimeo and then on a separate website. He also alleged he circulated the idea and the pitch reel to various industry types, including those associated with the original Rocky movies. He also tried to raise awareness for the idea on social media by promoting the idea on Twitter. Plaintiff and his friends tweeted at The Rock (who is friends with Stallone), to Carl Weathers (who played Creed in the Rocky movies) and to Sylvester Stallone himself. The complaint did not allege that any recipients acknowledged the tweets or took action based on them. Sometime later, MGM and Stallone announced their plans to develop Creed, which plaintiff alleges bears thematic similarities to plaintiff’s own idea.
