‘ER’ Creator Michael Crichton’s Estate Sues Warner Bros. Over Upcoming Hospital Drama ‘The Pitt’ 

Author Michael Crichton poses for a portrait at The Peninsula Hotel in New York on Dec. 7, 2004. (AP)
Author Michael Crichton poses for a portrait at The Peninsula Hotel in New York on Dec. 7, 2004. (AP)
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‘ER’ Creator Michael Crichton’s Estate Sues Warner Bros. Over Upcoming Hospital Drama ‘The Pitt’ 

Author Michael Crichton poses for a portrait at The Peninsula Hotel in New York on Dec. 7, 2004. (AP)
Author Michael Crichton poses for a portrait at The Peninsula Hotel in New York on Dec. 7, 2004. (AP)

The estate of Michael Crichton, who wrote the screenplay for what became the pilot episode of “ER,” has sued Warner Bros. Television over a dispute about an upcoming medical drama it says is a rebranded version of an unauthorized reboot.

After Crichton’s estate, led by his widow, Sherri, could not reach an agreement with the television studio to produce a reboot of the famed medical procedural, the lawsuit alleges Warner Bros. proceeded to develop and produce a series based on the same premise without consent.

The upcoming series, titled “The Pitt,” will be a medical drama set in Pittsburgh, as opposed to “ER’s” Chicago setting, and will feature Noah Wyle in a starring role. Wyle is best known for playing John Carter on “ER” in over 250 episodes.

“The Pitt” is also set to include several “ER” alums behind-the-scenes, including John Wells as the executive producer and R. Scott Gemmill as the showrunner. Wyle, Wells and Gemmill are each named defendants in the suit.

“The lawsuit filed by the Crichton Estate is baseless, as ‘The Pitt’ is a new and original show. Any suggestion otherwise is false, and Warner Bros. Television intends to vigorously defend against these meritless claims,” the studio said in a statement.

Because of Crichton’s success with projects including “Jurassic Park” and “Westworld” before “ER” was developed, he secured a coveted “frozen rights” provision in his contract for the series. The provision prohibits Warner Bros. from proceeding with any sequels, remakes, spinoffs or other productions derived from “ER” without Crichton’s consent, or his estate’s consent after his death from cancer in 2008.

“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,” a spokesperson for Sherri Crichton said in a statement to The Associated Press. “While litigation is never the preferred course of action, contracts must be enforced, and Michael Crichton’s legacy must be protected.”

The estate, which filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, is asking the judge to issue an injunction that would force the studio to stop production on the new series, and they are also seeking punitive and compensatory damages.

Warner Bros. began developing a reboot of “ER” for HBO’s streaming service, Max, in 2020 without Sherri’s knowledge, according to the lawsuit.

In 2022, when Sherri Crichton was informed of the developing project, she and the estate engaged in negotiations with the studio, through which she says she was promised that Crichton would get a “created by” credit, backed by a $5 million guarantee for the estate in the event the credit was not given. Ultimately, the term was revoked and negotiations stopped, which the lawsuit states should have ceased all development of the series.

Development continued on, and “The Pitt” was announced in March. A release date has yet to be announced.

“The Pitt is ER. It’s not like ER, it’s not kind of ER, it’s not sort of ER. It is ER complete with the same executive producer, writer, star, production companies, studio, and network as the planned ER reboot,” lawyers representing Crichton’s estate wrote in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges that Warner Bros. had previously tried to “erase” Crichton from derivatives for his work by downgrading his credit in the 2016 series based off his movie, “Westworld,” from “created by” to “based on,” which they say started “a disturbing pattern.”



Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million Toward Hurricane Relief Efforts

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
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Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million Toward Hurricane Relief Efforts

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)

Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to Feeding America to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, The Associated Press reported.
The nonprofit announced the pop star's donation Wednesday with a “Thank You” graphic resembling a friendship bracelet, a favorite accessory that Swift's fans trade at her concerts.
Feeding America is “incredibly grateful” for the donation, CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement.
“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms," the statement continued. “Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead.”
The organization also encouraged fans and supporters to “join Taylor” in contributing to relief efforts.
Swift's longtime friends, actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, also donated $1 million to Feeding America to support the hurricane relief efforts. Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement that the couple's “longtime support of Feeding America in times of crisis” has helped provide basic needs for several past natural disasters.
Swift has a long history of donating to nonprofits in the wake of natural disasters or tragic events, including a tornado that hit Tennessee in 2020 and a shooting in February 2024 at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.
Her philanthropic relationship with food banks became a quiet hallmark of her record-breaking Eras Tour, with the singer donating the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to different food banks across cities she played in.