Hi Everyone,
I wrote a screenplay about a certain deceased local public figure and got permission from her estate to write it. Now I want to produce it myself. But I heard from a well-known director who had put together a package to tell the story in 2010 that Universal has the rights to the woman's story so he dropped the project. The person in charge of her estate has no knowledge of Universal having the rights to her relative's story. I called the Universal legal department and VP of the legal department and left two voice messages asking if they have the rights to the woman's story and if so, who is the executive in charge of the project. No answer. Do I need a lawyer to contact them or is there another way of finding out if what the well-known director said is true?
I really want to produce this screenplay, but am stymied at this point. I appreciate any tips.
You should absolutely have an entertainment lawyer versed in biographical rights contact not only Universal, but also contact whatever trustee or heir of the estate is actually able to legally grant permission... never trust what heresay related parties may believe.
you can also check with the mpaa title registration office to see if anything has been registered (by Universal, etc.) with the name of the person, could be a giveaway. But yes, an attorney should be consulted before any effort expended.