When it comes to maintaining with the leisure trade, complaints are merely sure to pop up. Whether it is two exes going after one another, common other folks going after major stars, or even an actress going after a studio, proceedings pop up each every now and then, they usually generally organize to make headlines.
A few years back, Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg linked up for Ballers, which become a success display on HBO. Well, this show was allegedly quite very similar to every other venture, such a lot in order that the display was slapped with a lawsuit value masses of tens of millions of dollars.
Let's take a look at the lawsuit and see what happened!
Dwayne Johnson And Mark Wahlberg's 'Ballers' Was A Hit
From August 2015 to October 2019, Ballers was probably the most coolest displays on TV. The HBO production, which starred none as opposed to Hollywood powerhouse, Dwayne Johnson, was in truth produced via Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, and with those two names involved, there was simply no manner this display was going to fail.
For 5 seasons and nearly 50 episodes, Ballers was a staple on HBO. No, it was never as big as Game of Thrones, but on the other hand, nothing on the time was. Nevertheless, the collection had a loyal audience that could not get sufficient of the sports display.
Interstingly, the NFL was none too proud of Wahlberg and Co.
"The first season of the show the only calls I was getting were from guys like Roger Goodell saying, ‘You can’t do this,’ and various owners in the league," Wahlberg revealed.
The manufacturer, on the other hand, let Goodell know that "it’s actually a good thing for the league and the players because hopefully you’ll get the word out there with the crazy stuff and the financial side of it and hopefully get these guys to realize that they’ve got to be more careful with what they do with their money."
Ballers was a runaway luck, but throughout its successful run, it was slapped with a significant lawsuit.
The Show Was Hit With A Lawsuit In 2015
In 2015, it was reported that the sequence was being hit with a significant lawsuit to the tune of $two hundred million. Yes, that a lot cash as at the line.
Per the jury trial, via Deadline, "Plaintiffs are informed and believe and on that basis allege, that the more recent work, Ballers, borrows heavily from the Materials and that certain aesthetic elements, including, without limitation, physical appearance of the characters and their vehicles, and plots, scenes, as well as story lines are virtually identical to the Materials that the Defendants had access to."
They would proceed, alleging that Ballers wasn't simply similar to Off Season, however that it was "virtually identical."
“The tales, character traits, scenes, and incidents portrayed in the two works, Ballers and Off Season, are, in many respects, virtually an identical and strikingly similar. These substantially equivalent parts, coupled with the Defendants’ direct get entry to to the Materials, leaves little doubt that numerous elements of Ballers were copied from Off Season."
This was a major allegation, and as you could imagine, Johnson, Wahlberg, and HBO were not ready to simply roll over and allow their names to be dragged through the mud. With that much money on the line, as well as the reputations of all involved, this was not a lawsuit that was going to be resolved quickly.
Eventually, however, a decision was reached.
The Lawsuit Was Ultimately Dropped
In 2017, it was reported that the lawsuit filed against Ballers was tossed, freeing Johnson, Wahlberg, and the show of any wrongdoing.
According to Deadline, "In a tentative ruling released within the court earlier than the hearing and finalized after arguments from the attorneys concerned, the pass judgement on noted that the similarities between Ballers and Off Season didn't rise to the standard of copyright infringement but simply had common expressions that you could in finding in any challenge the place football players have been a primary part. Additionally, Wu made some degree of noting that the plaintiff’s claims of similarities did not cling up under exam and had been, in truth, often taken out of context."
This was great news for everyone involved with the show, as a significant amount of money and credibility were on the line. For the other side, however, this must have felt like a massive punch to the gut.
Things nearly came crashing down for Ballers early into its run on HBO, but the lawsuit against them didn't stick. Instead, the series was able to run for several more seasons, eventually reaching a conclusion in 2019.
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