Sophia Stewarts case is a famous one, one that has sparked viral rumours of secret court cases and $200 million pay-outs, though no such court records have ever been proven to exist. The woman that calls her The Mother of The Matrix remains adamant that she was ripped off, not only by The Wachowskis, but by James Cameron, too. Stewart claims that both The Terminator and The Matrix were part of the same story her story. The screen treatment for her work The Third Eye was copyrighted in 1983 and, according to her, 20th Century Fox had been sent a six page treatment two years before in 1981. She claims she did not receive a rejection letter until 1985, by which time The Terminator had come out and made a bucket load of cash. The African-American writer opted to put it down to coincidence, until it happened again. Stewart claims to have answered a magazine advert in the late 1980s placed by none other than the Wachowskis, who were soliciting science fiction stories with the purpose of creating a new comic book. After she sent in portions of her work which contains details of the last human refuge away from the oppressive machines, as well as a messianic character named The One she never heard anything back. When The Matrix made it to the big screen, she recognised what she claims is part of her original story, and decided to take on Hollywood in a court of law, determined to expose their supposed plagiarism to the world. While certain elements of her work are clearly present in The Matrix (The One even has to swallow a pill to begin his journey) no damages for plagiarism have ever been awarded.
