The legal battle unfolded this week as Simon Stephenson, a screenwriter with credits on films like 'Paddington 2' and 'Luca,' filed a lawsuit against Payne, 'The Holdovers' screenwriter David Hemingson, producer Mark Johnson, and studios Miramax and Focus Features, among others. Stephenson contends that the narrative backbone and specific plot points of 'The Holdovers' were directly lifted from 'Frisco,' a script he penned over a decade ago.

According to Stephenson's complaint, his screenplay 'Frisco' tells the story of a disillusioned doctor at a children's hospital who finds himself caring for a bright, precocious teenage patient. Their unlikely bond deepens during a trip to San Francisco, culminating in the doctor's decision to leave his job and embark on a cross-country journey. The lawsuit claims there are an astonishing 46 "matched incidents" between the two scripts, arguing that 'Frisco' served as a "blueprint" for 'The Holdovers,' with only superficial details altered.

Stephenson's 'Frisco,' inspired by his own experiences as a pediatrician, was written between 2012 and 2013 and earned a coveted spot on the Black List – an annual survey of Hollywood's most-liked unproduced screenplays. The lawsuit further alleges that Stephenson's agents attempted to pitch 'Frisco' to Alexander Payne, who reportedly received and read the script in both 2013 and again in 2019. Despite Payne's producing partner indicating that he "did like it but was not interested in prod or directing it," Stephenson claims elements from 'Frisco' later appeared in drafts of 'The Holdovers' through Payne's contributions to Hemingson.

The allegations first surfaced in early 2024 when Stephenson brought his concerns to the Writers Guild of America. However, the union advised him that it could not arbitrate such a dispute and recommended he pursue legal action. For his part, Alexander Payne has vehemently denied the claims, dismissing them at the Sarajevo Film Festival as "the stupidest thing in the world." This lawsuit now places the spotlight on the creative origins of 'The Holdovers,' a film that garnered significant critical acclaim, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Da'Vine Joy Randolph.