Did ‘The Lego Movie’ Rip Off Material From Jerry Seinfeld?
The Lego Movie possibly borrowed a few of its jokes from a famous comedian.
Adults who took their kids to see the box office hit were probably surprised the flick had just as much to offer grown-ups as it does to kids. This is definitely a good element to have when you’re trapped inside a theater a gaggle of hyper children.
One person who thinks The Lego Movie should throw some credit his way is Jerry Seinfeld. According to the comedian, screenwriters Phil Lord and Christopher Miller borrowed some stuff from his Superman-oriented American Express commercials. In true celebrity fashion, he addressed the situation on Twitter.
I think Lego Movie stole my Superman has issues with Green Lantern bit from Amex Seinfeld and Superman webisode. Anyone else catch that?
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) February 11, 2014
I’m glad they did. It was a fun bit.. #legomymaterial
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) February 11, 2014
He also gave his fans a 140-character review of the flick.
Also loved Lego Movie. A story would have been a nice added touch, though..
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) February 11, 2014
Perhaps the most amusing part of the whole exchange was a quip from Ricky Gervais. The comedian issued a very odd response that is likely to rub some folks the wrong way.
@JerrySeinfeld I know how you feel. Schindler’s List stole a lot of my early stuff.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) February 11, 2014
Seinfeld didn’t hesitate to follow up with a witty remark of his own.
RT @rickygervais: @JerrySeinfeld I know how you feel. Schindler’s List stole a lot of my early stuff. You were so edgy then.
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) February 11, 2014
Stolen material obviously didn’t prevent folks from checking out the flick in theaters last weekend. Over the span of three days, The Lego Movie generated a deeply impressive $69 million from moviegoers. Although it squares off against the RoboCop remake this weekend, chances are the movie will emerge victorious once again.
Not surprisingly, Warner Bros. is putting together plans to expand the Lego Movie franchise. The studio hasn’t revealed anything official thus far, but domestic distribution chief Dan Fellman told The Hollywood Reporter that ideas are starting to come together.
“I think this sends a signal that we are very interested in this space. You will be hearing more from us, and we will definitely be talking very shortly about our plans for Lego,” he explained.
Did you catch The Lego Movie in theaters last weekend? Do you think the movie ripped off Jerry Seinfeld’s material?