Deadline.com is reporting that HBO, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson are being sued for a copyright lawsuit over the series Ballers with two writers – Everette Silas and Sherri Littleton – claiming that producers lifted the concept from an idea they had titled Off Season.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Thursday and they are seeking unspecified punitive, compensatory and special damages.
“The stories, character traits, scenes, and incidents portrayed in the two works, Ballers and Off Season, are, in many respects, virtually identical and strikingly similar. These substantially similar elements, coupled with the Defendants’ direct access to the Materials, leaves little doubt that numerous elements of Ballers were copied from Off Season,” the lawsuit claims.
An HBO spokesman said that they are confident that the case has no merit while reps for the producers, including Dwayne Johnson, did not respond when asked for comments.
Season 2 of Ballers is currently in production and will air in 2016. The lawsuit can be read in full here.
