00:00Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer are being sued for allegedly stealing the
00:13idea for their hit Netflix series. Charlie Kessler is suing the Duffers for breach of
00:17implied contract, claiming he pitched the brothers his concept for a sci-fi story set
00:22near an abandoned military base during a party at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
00:26Kessler says Stranger Things is based on his short film, Montauk, and feature film script
00:31entitled The Montauk Project, both of which are set in the New York City of the same name,
00:36which Kessler says is home to various urban legends and paranormal and conspiracy theories.
00:40Kessler's attorney Michael Kiernan argues that the 2014 party pitch created an implied,
00:45in fact, contract pursuant to well-established industry norms. Kiernan writes,
00:56The suit comes on the heels of big-ticket renegotiations with the show's young cast,
01:01who each reportedly scored a pay raise 12 times their previous salaries.
01:05Kessler is seeking an injunction, ordering the Duffers to stop using his concepts and to destroy
01:10all materials based on those concepts. He is also seeking restitution, lost profits, and punitive damages.
01:16Netflix declined to comment on the complaint. Reps for the Duffers did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
01:22For the full complaint and more on this story, head to THR.com. Until next time,
01:26for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
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