Celebrity Justice
Aussies to Adam -- You Stole Our "Gay" Firemen Flick!

Think it's a coincidence that just in the last four years, a pair of movies about a pair of firemen who pretend to be gay popped up in cinemas? Not bloody likely, mate -- at least according to a new lawsuit.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Aussie film outfit Strange Bedfellows Pty Ltd. allege that the 2007 Adam Sandler-Kevin James comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" was ripped off from their own faux-gay-fireman movie, "Strange Bedfellows." That movie, starring Paul Hogan and Michael Caton, came out in 2004, and was the highest-grossing movie in Oz that year.

But you'll never guess who allegedly made the bridge between Crocodile Dundee and Billy Madison. Did you say Deuce Bigalow?

According to the papers, Rob Schneider got a copy of "Strange Bedfellows," and gave it to Adam Sandler, who then turned around and made "Chuck and Larry." The Aussie company alleges that Sandler's company Happy Madison Productions have "continuously infringed [Bedfellows'] copyright by distributing, selling, producing, and claiming authorship" over "Chuck and Larry."

As it happens, "Chuck and Larry" grossed $120 million in the U.S., while "Bedfellows" did about $4.2 million (U.S.) in its native land. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

Happy Madison Productions didn't immediately return a call for comment.

Tags: adam sandler, AdamSandler

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 2) Previous 15 Comments

16. Let's do the maths.
Australia is pushing 21 million people. You guys have what, 300 million? Of course a movie over there is going to make $100 mil +, compared with our $4.2 mil. Our market is what, 15 times smaller than yours?
Strange Bedfellows was hilarious, and I think you would have found that had Happy Maddison Productions asked for permission to use the material, the original production company would have obliged. That or, the least they could have done was not rip it off so blatantly.

Posted at 3:46PM on Dec 12th 2007 by kate

17. Come on guys us Aussie don't make that many movies a year especially with two of the greatest aussie comedian's I think we deserve to have some recognition for coming up with an original idea

Posted at 4:53PM on Dec 12th 2007 by Aussie Babe

18. Adam Sandler's a knob!

Posted at 5:17PM on Dec 12th 2007 by jg

19. When I first saw the promo for Chuck and Larry I knew it was a rip-off! I saw Strange Bedfellows when it was first on dvd and enjoye it. I though it was waaaay better tha C&L. They should have to pay dearly for ripping off Paul Hogan like that!

Posted at 9:11PM on Dec 12th 2007 by val

20. I've never seen Adam Sandler be funny, I'll have to take your words for it, Like he took the story and plot from Australia.

Posted at 3:55PM on Jan 13th 2008 by mike

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