10 Totally Confusing Hollywood Screenwriting Disputes
1. Mike Myers Says His Own Script Is Unacceptable
Unlike the other entries, the script for Dieter never even made it to a controversial ruling by the WGA. In the late 1990s, comedian Mike Myers co-wrote a script with Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me co-writer Michael McCullers and longtime Saturday Night Live writer Jack Handey based on his German expressionist talk show host SNL character Dieter. However, after Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me was a gigantic hit Myers pulled out of the film and said that after fourteen drafts he didn’t approve of his own screenplay.
Yes, Myers claimed his own writing wasn’t good enough. Universal and producer Brian Grazer had already spent several million dollars signing Will Ferrell and Jack Black to star alongside Myers and sued him. Myers countersued. Many just assumed that Myers didn’t want to make the movie now that he was a huge star.
The suits were eventually settled and the movie was never made. Myers later worked with Universal and Grazer when he starred in The Cat In The Hat, which the press speculated was one of the terms of their settlement (which Grazer denied). Since The Cat In The Hat is considered one of the worst films ever made, Myers probably should have written a fifteenth draft of Dieter instead.
Which screenwriting dispute was the most ridiculous? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!