The estate of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' author Harper Lee has sued those behind Aaron Sorkin's upcoming Broadway production of the classic.
The estate in its lawsuit against the production company Rudin play, which is owned by Scott Rudin, argues that the script by Sorkin deviates from story of the novel, according to the New York Times.
Lee, before her death in 2016, had approved a contract with Rudin and granted him the rights to her novel in exchange for USD 100,000 and a promise that the play would remain true to the original story.
Lee estate's lawyer Tonja B Carter said that she saw a draft of the script and it seemingly altered the protagonist Atticus Finch and his two kids, Jem and Scout.
The script, the lawsuit argued, no longer "presents a fair depiction of 1930s small-town Alabama".
In response to the lawsuit, Rudin told NYT, "I can't and won't present a play that feels like it was written in the year the book was written in terms of its racial politics. It wouldn't be of interest. The world has changed since then."
In a statement Rudin said the estate is known for its "litigious behaviour".
"The estate has an unfortunate history of litigious behavior and of both filing and being the recipient of numerous lawsuits, and has been the subject of considerable controversy surrounding its handling of the work of Harper Lee both during her illness and after her death. This is, unfortunately, simply another such lawsuit, the latest of many, and we believe that it is without merit. While we hope this gets resolved, if it does not, the suit will be vigorously defended," he said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
