‘Gemini Man’ 7-Figure Lawsuit Accused of Copyright Violations Against Will Smith

Will Smith is being accused of serious creative theft for an astounding seven-figure sum!

The seasoned actor was charged with pilfering the storyline from a 2011 science fiction book to use in his massively successful motion picture “Gemini Man”. 10% of the $173 million the film made after its release, or $1.7 million, will be Smith’s damages if he is proven guilty.

A lawsuit involving Will Smith and other major Hollywood stars was filed in relation to his 2019 film “Gemini Man.”

Will Smith was recommended by the author as the best lead in his book.

Author of science fiction Kissinger Sibanda filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Smith, David Ellison, Skydance Productions, Gemini Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and several other defendants.

Identity-checked as a South African/American, Sibanda identified as a writer and lawyer who published his book “The Return to Gibraltar” in 2011.

He claims that the book is about an African American who, without his consent, gets cloned and utilized in a time-traveling operation. During the book’s promotion, he acknowledged that he had suggested Smith as a suitable candidate for the lead role.

According to the lawsuit, Smith later published “Gemini Man” in 2019, which was helmed by Ang Lee, according to In Touch. Other performers like Benedict Wong, Clive Owen, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead starred in it.

“The film centers on a former hitman who, while evading the government, is pursued by a younger clone of himself,” he continued. Until the plaintiff published his book in 2011, the defendants struggled to produce the film.”

Following the publication of his book, Sibanda said that Smith altered the movie’s marketing plan and went one step further, “taking themes, plots, characterizations, context, and cultural subtexts to create Gemini Man.”

Smith’s stunt double and the plaintiff allegedly shared the book idea.

Sibanda stated he met Will’s stunt double in 2012, but he cannot remember his real name, regarding how Smith was able to acquire the information of his book.

“And limited discovery can produce the name given that defendants have all the names of Will Smith’s stunt doubles on file” in the complaint, he said, stating that “the stunt double had recently returned from Cape Town, South Africa” when they meet.

The lawsuit clarified that he also forwarded a copy to Hollywood’s biggest and most powerful talent agency, William Morris Endeavor. According to Sibanda:

“The publication of The Return to Gibraltar provided a free meal for the defendants; not only did the book detail the cultural importance of the protagonist as a black person in a cinematic form but it explained cloning and its science in the context of a complete story; not just “ideas and facts” but a complete narrative pace and climax.”

He pointed out that the main character in “The Return to Gibraltar” is a Harvard man who significantly resembles the younger Smith cloned in “Gemini Man.”

The writer went on to say that he first sent a formal letter to each of the defendants listed in 2020, but he never heard back and didn’t receive any “money settlement to plaintiff, only a zero-dollar walk away.”

Before its release, “Gemini Man” was purportedly in development for more than two decades, having been penned by Darren Lemke in 1997. According to Deadline, the science fiction action thriller picture starred Owen as Clay Verris, an old friend from Smith’s Army days, and Smith as Harry Brogan.

Working out of his private assassin company, Verris had surreptitiously taken a sample of Brogan’s DNA twenty-five years prior, using it to build a test tube replica of Brogan that he called Junior.

Brogan was known for being an expert marksman, and Verris wanted to develop a younger, more powerful replica of him and eventually eliminate the original. The two Smiths were involved in intense chase scenes throughout the film, which was set in Colombia, Hungary, and Georgia, among other places.

Along for the flight is Brogan’s colleague from the Defense Intelligence Agency, Danny (played by Winstead), while Wong’s Baron, their pilot, offers much-needed comedic relief.

When Verris’ plans began to pay off, Brogan’s plan to retire to a quiet village and go fishing after a thrilling year of combating wars and crimes was abruptly interrupted. He had to take up the gun to put an end to this disaster once and for all.

In a prior fraud lawsuit, the actor disclosed his financial information.

Smith has appeared in court before. The actor faced subpoenas to provide his bank records and private emails exchanged with his friend Duane Martin in a 2019 fraud case.

According to The Blast, Smith sent out email exchanges from 2018 between Martin, his representative, and himself to the trustee overseeing Martin’s bankruptcy.

Furthermore, they attested to the fact that the multi-award-winning actor and his businesses had complied with the court’s order by providing their financial documents.

The email correspondence included their conversation over the $1.4 million loan that Martins received from Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith years prior to buy the house that is currently the subject of the fraud case.

Martin is said to have convinced Will Smith to contribute money for the loan.

The emails in which Martin “continued to put pressure on his friend WS to finance the transaction” during the loan application process in 2012, according to the trustee, provide the clearest proof of his alleged malfeasance.

Martin’s intention to list the house for sale in 2018 was also brought up in the meeting between Martin and Smith. The Blast did, however, clarify that no accusations have been made against Smith or his spouse about their alleged knowledge of the crime or complicity in Martin’s purported deception.

Will this be a rerun of the 2020 scenario, or have Smith and the other defendants not yet replied to Sibanda’s lawsuit?