Crichton widow sues over alleged unauthorized "ER" reboot

Sherri Crichton, widow of screenwriter Michael Crichton, has filed a lawsuit against the producers of the upcoming Max series "The Pitt." She accuses them of creating an unauthorized adaptation of her late husband's series.

As stated in the lawsuit, the series titled "The Pitt" allegedly uses the concept of the series "ER". According to "Variety" reports, producer John Wells and Noah Wyle (who stars in the new series) are accused of creating "The Pitt" after plans for a reboot of "ER" were blocked by Crichton's heirs and negotiations failed. The widow accuses Wells and Wyle of "personal betrayal".

The lawsuit indicates that "The Pitt", like "ER", is a series set in a hospital, but the setting has been moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh. Despite the location change, both projects share the same executive producer, screenwriter, lead star, production companies, studio, and TV network, making "The Pitt" a replica of "ER", according to the accusers.

Michael Crichton, who passed away in 2008, is the creator of "ER" - a series based on his own experiences as a medical student. "ER" quickly became a hit, airing for 15 NBC series and winning American viewers' hearts.

Sherri Crichton claims that in November 2022, John Wells informed her about plans for the reboot, but Warner Bros. refused to negotiate recognizing Michael Crichton as a co-creator.

"If Warner Bros. can do this to Michael Crichton, one of the industry’s most successful and prolific creators who made the studio billions over the course of their partnership, no creator is safe," stated Sherri Crichton's spokesperson.

"Rather than afford Crichton the ‘created by’ credit he deserved, Defendants would pretend their reboot was not his creation at all, thereby enriching themselves to the tune of millions of dollars — potentially hundreds of millions or several billion dollars in success — and depriving Crichton’s heirs of their rightful share," the lawsuit reads.

Money is at stake. If Crichton's name appears in the end credits of "The Pitt," for which he did not write the script but according to his widow originated the idea, the profits would also go to his heirs.

In the UK, the series "ER" is available on Max.