A federal judge has dismissed a Utah filmmaker’s lawsuit against several Hollywood production companies, which had accused them of stealing the idea for his movie.
Richard Dutcher claimed the companies stole the idea for his 2007 drama “Falling” to make the 2014 drama “Nightcrawler.” But U.S. District Judge Dee Benson dismissed the claims, filed against Bold Films, Open Road Films, NBCUniversal Media and Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
“[T]he court determined that no reasonable jury could find that ‘Falling’ is substantially similar to ‘Nightcrawler,’” Benson wrote in a nine-page order for summary judgment, issued Monday along with the dismissal.