Warner Bros. Prevails In ‘Gravity’ Suit

A bestselling author failed to convince a court that the film ‘Gravity’ was based on her book of the same name. The court found her claims to be “entirely speculative.” In 1999, Tess Gerritsen sold the rights for a film version of her book to Katja, a company owned by New Line, now a subsidiary of Warner Bros., for $1 million, plus a $500,000 production bonus and percentage of proceeds if the film was made. After the Alfonso Cuaron version of ‘Gravity’ was filmed, Gerritsen sued, saying she was owed at least $10 million for the film, which grossed more than $700 million. Warner Bros. argued that it never had a contract with the author.