Yellowjackets Accused of Ripping Off 2015 Thriller in New Lawsuit

Yellowjackets Accused of Ripping Off 2015 Thriller in New Lawsuit

As a seasoned gamer and avid consumer of pop culture, I’ve seen my fair share of twists, turns, and copyright infringement lawsuits. The latest one involving Showtime’s hit series, Yellowjackets, and the 2015 survival thriller Eden, has me scratching my head.


When it comes to Yellowjackets, there’s more to be wary of than just the wilderness. As reported by Deadline, Showtime, the network responsible for the critically acclaimed Emmy-nominated series, is currently facing a copyright infringement lawsuit. Filed in a federal court in New York last week, the suit alleges that Yellowjackets has stolen its concept and numerous other elements from the 2015 survival thriller Eden by filmmaker Syam Madiraju. Alongside Showtime, the studio producing the series, Lionsgate, and creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson are also named in the lawsuit. The suit demands unspecified damages and an injunction against the Yellowjackets’ production team.

The television series “Yellowjackets” revolves around a high school girls’ soccer team whose plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness during their journey to nationals in 1996. Struggling with the harsh conditions and survival challenges, things take a sinister turn, even involving cannibalism. Meanwhile, the contemporary narrative delves into their lives post-rescue and the hidden secrets that continue to haunt them. In “Eden,” written by Nate Parker and distributed by Voltage Pictures, the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s plane crashes on an uninhabited tropical island after a World Cup match. The survivors grapple not only with the harsh environment and survival but also face dark twists such as cannibalism and moral dilemmas that test the boundaries between good and evil. A lawsuit alleges that many significant elements from “Yellowjackets” have been taken directly from “Eden.

As a gamer, I find myself immersed in two captivating stories where my character, along with other players and our coach, must battle against relentless nature, dwindling resources leading to starvation, and the psychological strain of solitude as darkness creeps within us. The lawsuit claims that while we strive to endure, conflicts escalate, alliances are forged, hidden truths come to light, and ethical lines become increasingly blurred – a struggle between good and evil that becomes indistinguishable.

[RELATED: Yellowjackets Star Christina Ricci Says Season 3 Will Be “Brutal”]

In the lawsuit, certain elements alleged to have been “duplicated” encompass themes, storylines, settings, characters, and even specific dialogues.

In simpler terms, the lawsuit states that upon examination of both the film and the show’s storylines, settings, atmospheres, pacing, narratives, characters, event progressions, underlying themes, and similarities in scenes and dialogue, it appears that they share many fundamental aspects. This strong resemblance suggests that a significant portion of the series ‘Yellowjackets’ may have been derived from the work titled ‘Eden’.

Although Yellowjackets and Eden may seem somewhat similar at first glance due to shared elements such as plane crashes and survival stories with ominous twists, these themes are quite common in the realm of entertainment. However, it’s worth noting that the creators of Yellowjackets have explicitly drawn inspiration for the series from a real-life incident: the 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes mountains. This crash, involving a Uruguayan rugby team en route to a match in Chile, has been the basis for numerous books and films, with Alive (1993), starring Ethan Hawke, being one such example.

Regarding “Yellowjackets,” the show is slated to resume for its third season on Paramount+ and Showtime around early 2025. The storyline continues from the dramatic events at the end of Season 2, particularly the startling demise of character Natalie (Juliette Lewis). Additionally, Season 3 may provide some solutions to the series’ long-standing mysteries, as suggested by Lyle.

“There are at least two very big questions with very clear answers,” Lyle said.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Yellowjackets are now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.

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2024-11-18 05:39