Lawsuit Filed Against Franco Over Bukowski Film Rights

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James Franco found himself in a lawsuit over his plans to adapt a new movie about literary genius Charles Bukowski.

Cyril Humphris, who advocates he has the movie rights to Charles’ semi-autobiographical novel titles Ham on Rye, claims Franco lacks the necessary permission to make the movie and he is now suing Franco with intention to halt production.

The papers were filed on Thursday, April 24, and according to the lawsuit, Humphris maintains Franco had the rights to adapt the novel into a movie, but those rights expired in 2010. According to him, Franco’s plans to make a movie infringe on the former agreement.

Humphris advocates Franco’s current Bukowski movie “borrows the Novel’s themes of childhood loneliness; adolescent self-consciousness; the failures, hypocrisy, and cruelty of adults; and, in an unflinching depiction, the crude interest teenage boys take in sex.”

He added, “The Film incorporates entire scenes, including substantially their dialogue, from the Novel.”

Franco has previously stated his film is not an adaptation of the novel, but focuses on Bukowski’s childhood.”

But Humphris is far from convinced. His lawsuit reads: “By producing, marketing, displaying, and/or distributing the Film, Mr. Franco… and those involved… have infringed on Mr. Humphris’ exclusive motion-picture rights to the Novel.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plaintiff is seeking an injunction and monetary damages.

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