Sci-Fi Storm

Remember that Harlan Ellison lawsuit against New Regency and director Andrew Niccol over the movie In Time that was reported as settled but really wasn’t? Well it’s over anyways.

I have confirmed with both Ellison’s and Niccol’s lawyers that the action has been dropped, and both sides have agreed to the following joint statement:

“After seeing the film In Time, Harlan Ellison decided to voluntarily dismiss the Action. No payment or screen credit was promised or given to Harlan Ellison. The parties wish each other well, and have no further comment on the matter.”

So there you have it. The lawsuit was originally sparked by what Ellison saw as similarities between the movie and his own story, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said The Ticktockman”, namely the dystopian future in which people lived for a fixed amount of time, and that they could lose time if they violate anything. In the movie, time is literally money – everyone starts off with a fixed amount, and they earn more and pay for things with it. The movie struggled in theaters, however, grossing about $35 million domestically, and reaching only 38% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer.

Two months ago it was announced that Harlan Ellison was filing a lawsuit against New Regency and director Andrew Niccol about the movie In time, which Ellison claims was too similar to his well known story, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said The Ticktockman”, and would damage his ability to sell his own movie rights. He was seeking to stop the release, destroy all copies, and damages, but the film was released in time (pun!) anyways.

But I’m just learning today that Ellison had settled with the defendants last week, settling at least for screen credit (no mention on a monetary settlement) in future prints of the movie. This settlement echoes a similar lawsuit Ellison won against the producers of The Terminator, also receiving on-screen credit.

Updated 11/9: Maybe it hasn’t…I’m hearing through the twittervine that the original story may be false, and none of the other major orgs seem to have picked up on it. More news when known.

Update #2: Per Andrew Niccol’s lawyer, there has not been any settlement.

Harlan Ellison isn’t too pleased with the plot of the upcoming film In Time. In fact, he’s filed a lawsuit against New Regency and director Andrew Niccol, and is attempting to get an injunction against the release and dispose of the film. In Time is scheduled for an October 28th release.

Now fans and detractors are aware of Ellison’s propensity for legal action – and he’s generally been successful, even for seemingly marginal cases, such as The Terminator (he won at least an acknowledgement in the credits.) So, is this another superficial similarity, or is there more?
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The upcoming In Time looks very interesting. A touch of Logan’s Run, time – in the sense of how long you live – is a commodity which can be earned and traded.

When Will Salas is falsely accused of murder, he must figure out a way to bring down a system where time is money – literally – enabling the wealthy to live forever while the poor, like Will, have to beg, borrow, and steal enough minutes to make it through another day.

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