Stranger Things Plagiarism Lawsuit: Everything You Need to Know

The creators of Stranger Things are still batting away claims that they stole their idea for the hit Netflix series. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed the Duffer brothers attempt to halt a plagiarism lawsuit filed against them from a man who claimed they stole his idea in 2014.

The man, filmmaker Charlie Kessler, filed a suit in April 2018, claiming that Matt and Ross Duffer stole their idea for the show from his 2012 short film, Montauk. Kessler claims he presented the concept for the short to the brothers during a party at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival—and that they liked it so much they transformed into the show Stranger Things, swapping Montauk for the fictional Hawkins, Indiana. The Duffers have repeatedly denied Kesslers claim.

“Charlie Kessler asserts that he met the Duffers, then two young filmmakers whom Kessler never had heard of, and chatted with them for ten to fifteen minutes,” wrote the defendants attorney, per The Hollywood Reporter. “That casual conversation—during which the Duffers supposedly said that they all should work together and asked what [Kessler] was working on—is the sole basis for the alleged implied contract at issue in this lawsuit and for Kesslers meritless theory that the Duffers used his ideas to create Stranger Things.”

Stranger Things, a sci-fi series about a group of teens and the paranormal activity swirling around their town, debuted in 2016 and instantly became a pop-cultural juggernaut. The show has picked up a handful of Emmys, turned star Millie Bobby Brown into a household name, and burnisheds Netflixs slate of original television. Kesslers claims aside, the show is also, admittedly, inspired by the 1980s outputs of both Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. “Hes like a god to us,” Ross said in a 2017 interview about King, who has seen the show and tweeted its praises.

The Kessler suit is ongoing, with the filmmakers attorney also claiming that a former roommate of the Duffer brothers has alleged that the creative duo used his ideas for the 2015 horror movie Hidden.

Per T.H.R., Kessler is seeking documents and a deposition from Netflix. The Duffers are pushing back, motioning to seal off parts of the trial, since “public disclosure threatens substantial harm not only to their legitimate privacy interests, but also as to their ongoing commercial efforts, including by revealing confidential information that may be included in future episodes of Stranger Things and weakening the Duffers (and Netflixs) position in future commercial negotiations.”

“The Duffer Brothers have our full support,” a Netflix spokesperson said, T.H.R. noted. “This case has no merit, which we look forward to being confirmed by a full hearing of the facts in court.”

Kesslers attorney, Michael Kernan, issued the following statement: “Now that the Judge has ruled and denied their motion for summary judgment, we can now dispense with the nonsense promoted by the Duffers and Netflix that this lawsuit has no merit, and that they had proof that they created the show. If the lawsuit had no merit, or if they actually had the proof they created it, then their summary judgment would have won. They lost. These motions are very hard to fight and winning this Motion shows Mr. Kessler has a good case. We look forward to proving Mr. Kesslers case at trial.”

The trial is scheduled for May 6.

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