Disney Writer Sues Oscar-Winning Movie's Director For Stealing 13-Year-Old Story

Seacia Pavao/©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection Published Oct 28, 2026, 6:12 PM EDT Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025. Sign in to your ScreenRant account This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.Almost three years after receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, The Holdovers is facing legal trouble. The film follows teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and cafeteria manager Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) as they spend their Christmas break at the boarding school Barton Academy, with the uncomfortable dynamics gradually transforming into one of found family. In addition to Best Picture, the 2024 Academy Awards nominated the movie for Best Actor (Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Randolph), Best Original Screenplay (David Hemingson), and Best Film Editing (Kevin Tent), with Randolph winning in her category. Per The Hollywood Reporter, a lawsuit has been filed in California federal court by Luca writer Simon Stephenson accusing The Holdovers director Alexander Payne of plagiarism. Stephenson alleges that major elements of his Frisco screenplay, which Payne read in 2013 and 2019, were taken without permission by the director and used in The Holdovers script written by Hemingson. Payne, Hemingson, producer Mark Johnson, production companies Gran Via, Honost Scholar, Miramax, and distributors Focus Features and Universal Home Entertainment are all named in the lawsuit. Stephenson is seeking unspecified damages and a court order barring exploitation of the movie. The complaint states, “Screenplays are often called the blueprint for a film. The defendants built their film using Frisco as their blueprint.” More to come... Release Date November 10, 2023 Runtime 133 Minutes Director Alexander Payne