Writer sues director over Avatar script

BOARDMAN

A screenwriter from College Park, Md., has sued Hollywood film director James Cameron, claiming large portions of his script were illegally incorporated into the 2009 blockbuster “Avatar.”

Bryant Moore filed a suit last month in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Maryland. His attorney is Donald M. Temple of Washington, D.C.

Moore is represented by Writers Guild of America agent Linda Weaver of Boardman.

His lawsuit names Lightstorm Entertainment Inc., Cameron and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. as defendants. It seeks damages and injunctive relief.

In 1994 and 2003, Moore submitted to Cameron scripts for two science- fiction films titled “Aquatica” and “Descendants: The Pollination.”

Moore’s suit claims that more than 20 striking similarities between his scripts and “Avatar” can be found.

Attorneys for the defendants have filed a motion to dismiss Moore’s suit. A hearing on the motion has been scheduled for Jan. 28.