Tarantino Sues Gawker Over Links to Leaked Script

There won't be a movie, but there is a lawsuit. Last week came the news that Quentin Tarantino was so "depressed" and betrayed after his script for The Hateful Eight leaked that he wouldn't make the film "next winter" as intended. Gawker's Defamer blog then linked to the script, in a post titled, "Here Is the Leaked Quentin Tarantino Hateful Eight Script." Now, Tarantino is suing Gawker Media over its "predatory journalism," claiming it promoted "itself to the public as the first source to read the entire Screenplay illegally" and refused multiple requests to remove the links, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The lawsuit zeroes in on the headline as a big problem:

• "Their headline boasts... 'Here,' not someplace else, but 'Here' on the Gawker website. The article then contains multiple direct links for downloading the entire Screenplay through a conveniently anonymous URL by simply clicking button-links on the Gawker page, and brazenly encourages Gawker visitors to read the Screenplay illegally with the invitation to 'Enjoy!' it."

What Tarantino wants: "actual damages and Defendants' profits in an amount exceeding $1,000,000 to be determined at trial," plus other damages. What Gawker says: Nothing yet, at least to the Reporter. (More Quentin Tarantino stories.)