Author Sues 'Cabin In the Woods' Creators Over Copyright Infringement

"Cabin In the Woods" was considered one of the smartest, most original horror movies in decades, based on a genius premise.

But was that genius premise stolen?

That's the claim put forth in a lawsuit against "Cabin" creator Joss Whedon and his co-writer Drew Goddard, which claims that they and Lionsgate infringed upon the copyright of author Peter Gallagher (no relation to the beloved star of "While You Were Sleeping").

Gallagher's lawsuit claims that he wrote and attempted to distribute a novel titled The Little White Trip: A Night in the Pines back in 2006, well before "Cabin" was made. In Gallagher's novel, four young people stay in a cabin in the woods and are subjected to a horror-movie scenario wherein they are attacked by monsters released by people working behind the scenes.

The suit even points out similarities in character names, as his were named Julie and Dura while the movie's heroines were Jules and Dana.

However, copyright cases are often very hard to prove (and win) without a number of uncanny resemblances between two pieces. It's entirely possible that two writers could have come up with the very postmodern premise on their own, coincidentally around the same time.

Gallagher points out, though, that he was attempting to sell his novel on the streets in areas of Venice and Santa Monica in Los Angeles, very near to where Whedon's production company Mutant Enemy resides.