‘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.”



Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision Founder, Dies at 98

A sign is displayed at Cablevision headquarters in Bethpage, NY, on Sept. 17, 2015. (AP)
A sign is displayed at Cablevision headquarters in Bethpage, NY, on Sept. 17, 2015. (AP)
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Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision Founder, Dies at 98

A sign is displayed at Cablevision headquarters in Bethpage, NY, on Sept. 17, 2015. (AP)
A sign is displayed at Cablevision headquarters in Bethpage, NY, on Sept. 17, 2015. (AP)

Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent US media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98, according to a news report.

A statement issued Saturday by his family said Dolan died of natural causes, Newsday reported late Saturday.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved father and patriarch, Charles Dolan, the visionary founder of HBO and Cablevision," the statement said.

Dolan's legacy in cable broadcasting includes the 1972 launch of Home Box Office, later known as HBO, and founding Cablevision in 1973 and the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He also launched News 12 in New York City, the first 24-hour cable channel for local news in the US, Newsday reported.

The Cleveland native, who dropped out of John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland, completed the sale of Cablevision to Altice, a European telecommunications and cable company, for $17.7 billion in June 2016.

Dolan, whose primary home was in Cove Neck Village on Long Island in New York, also held controlling stakes in companies that owned Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks and New York Rangers sports franchises, Newsday reported.

James L. Dolan, one of his sons, was the Cablevision CEO from 1995 until the 2016 sale to Altice. He now is the executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. The company owns the Knicks and Rangers, among other properties, according to the MSG Sports website.

A statement from MSG Entertainment, MSG Sports and Sphere Entertainment recalled Dolan's "vision."

"Mr. Dolan's vision built the foundation for the companies we are today, and as a member of our Boards he continued to help shape our future. The impact he made on the media, sports, and entertainment industries, including as the founder of Cablevision and HBO, is immeasurable," the statement said. "We do not expect this to directly or indirectly change ownership by the Dolan family."

Newsday, which Cablevision purchased in 2008, also came under the control of Altice with the sale. Patrick Dolan, another son of Charles Dolan, led a group that repurchased 75% of Newsday Media Group in July 2016. Patrick Dolan then purchased the remaining 25% stake in 2018.

At the time of his death, Charles Dolan and his family had a net worth of $5.4 billion, Forbes reported.

Dolan was a founder and chairman emeritus of The Lustgarten Foundation in Uniondale, New York, which conducts pancreatic cancer research.

He is survived by six children, 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His wife, Helen Ann Dolan, died in 2023, Newsday reported.