Stephen King Sues to Banish His Name from ‘The Lawnmower Man’

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1992 saw the release of a science fiction horror movie titled “The Lawnmower Man,” which made a staggering $150 million globally on a budget of just $10 million. However, this box-office hit is infamous for more than its financial success: it sparked a fierce legal dispute with author Stephen King, who sought to distance himself from the film. Despite being advertised as “Stephen King’s The Lawnmower Man,” the movie bore little resemblance to King’s original short story of the same name. This legal battle led to a landmark decision in entertainment law, demonstrating the boundaries of creative freedom when adapting established literary works and underscoring the complex dynamics between authors and filmmakers. The case was a groundbreaking moment, marking the first time in 70 years that a writer successfully sued to disassociate their name from a movie, thus setting an important precedent.

Originally, “The Lawnmower Man” was a short story, just ten pages long, which appeared in the May 1975 issue of Cavalier magazine. Later, it was included in Stephen King’s collection titled “Night Shift” from 1978. The tale revolves around a man named Harold Parkette who hires a lawn service, unaware that the worker is a satyr, a grass-eating creature from Greek mythology who worships Pan. Instead of mowing the lawn, the lawnmower functions on its own while the worker crawls behind it, consuming the grass clippings. In an eerie turn of events, when Parkette tries to call the police, both the worker and the lawnmower perform a ritual sacrifice of him to Pan. The story’s unusual, supernatural elements and suburban horror setting are typical of Stephen King’s work.

In the movie “The Lawnmower Man,” directed by Brett Leonard and starring Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith and Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Lawrence Angelo, the story unfolds quite differently from its original source material. Initially, Jobe is an intellectually disabled gardener who becomes a test subject for Dr. Angelo’s experiments in virtual reality and cognitive enhancement. As Jobe’s intelligence skyrockets due to these treatments, he gains psychokinetic and telepathic abilities, eventually becoming dangerously fixated on transforming into a digital being. This film serves as a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, themes not present in Stephen King’s original work. The only link to King’s story is a brief two-minute sequence where Jobe, now equipped with telekinetic powers, uses a lawnmower to murder a character named Harold Parkette.

Stephen King’s The Lawnmower Man Legal Battle, Explained

The origin of the discrepancy between the story and the movie titled “The Lawnmower Man” can be traced back to Allied Vision, who obtained the film rights for this story but found it challenging to expand the short story into a full-length feature film (a task that was relatively uncommon at the time, as seen in movies like Children of the Corn). Instead of further developing Stephen King’s narrative, they chose to blend aspects of his story with an independent screenplay titled “Cyber God,” penned by Brett Leonard and Gimel Everett. This fusion resulted in a movie that, according to legal documents submitted by King, bore little resemblance to the original tale.

Stephen King, well-known for adapting many of his works across various platforms, typically welcomes creative interpretations. Yet, the movie “The Lawnmower Man” was such a significant deviation that he felt it necessary to take legal steps to safeguard his brand and connection with his readers. Consequently, in May 1992, shortly after its release, King filed a lawsuit against Allied Vision Ltd. and New Line Cinema, aiming to have his name removed from the film’s title and promotional materials.

In July of 1992, a federal judge decided in favor of King, making it the first successful case like this since 1922 when author James Oliver Curwood was removed from the movie “I Am the Law.” The decision stated that New Line Cinema had to take King’s name off the film title and all promotional content. However, when New Line appealed, a panel of three judges slightly changed their ruling in October 1992, allowing the film to keep a credit saying it was “based upon” in the movie itself, but requiring King’s name to be taken off advertising.

In May 1993, the parties involved agreed on a $2.5 million settlement. However, this legal battle wasn’t fully resolved. Despite the court order and settlement, New Line Cinema persisted in using King’s name for their film’s advertisements, mainly on videocassette boxes. This disregard for the ruling led to additional legal proceedings. A federal judge ruled that New Line was in contempt of court in 1994 due to non-compliance with the initial decision. The studio was given a month to rectify the issue or face a daily fine of $10,000.

The case of “Lawnmower Man” set significant precedents concerning an author’s rights in movie adaptations. It validated the fact that writers can take legal action when their work is significantly distorted, especially when their name is used to promote the film. The decision emphasized that owning the rights for adaptation doesn’t automatically give studios carte blanche to produce entirely different narratives while capitalizing on an author’s reputation. Interestingly, the movie has gained a peculiar legacy. Despite the controversy, it evolved into a cult classic in early virtual reality sci-fi, being highly acclaimed for its pioneering visual effects that were revolutionary for 1992.

The Lawnmower Man is currently available for free streaming on Tubi, if you dare.

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2025-04-10 18:40