The Book of Eli movie: David Gemmell's The Jerusalem Man?

[Jaqhama]

I read the synopsis of the new Denzel Washington movie The Book of Eli.
Sounded a lot like the story in David Gemmell's The Jerusalem man to me.
I googled that thought...and it seems plenty of other people have come to the same conclusion, one guy even pointing out that a bar scene at the beginning of the Eli movie is straight out of David Gemmell's novel.
The sci-fi religious/western/apocalypse movie is so obviously taken from David Gemmell's book.
But by not buying the rights to the novel, and changing the character's name, I guess the film makers figure they've saved a load of money.
I'm wondering how close to a novel a movie has to be before the author of the novel, or Gemmell's estate in this case, can sue them for breach of copyright?

[PaulMc]

Interesting.

Now I need to read the book and watch the movie!

[AstonWest]

Just watched the movie this past weekend...guess I'll have to buy the book and compare.
It does make one contemplate what sort of shenanigans movie makers might go to with your work...

[tchernabyelo]

If I recall the book correctly (it's a while since I read it, and I always thought the Sipstrassi novels were the weakest of Gemmell's output), there is an awful lot in it that bears no resemblance to the movie. Frankly the common elements appear to be, um, a lone figure in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Which has been done so many times (Mad Max being perhaps the most obvious) that I think people may be getting worked up for nothing.

[ScrewMoonshine]

My understanding was that (licensing fees) = (paltry spare change by Hollywood standards), whereas (profit from every fan of a big name author like Gemmell going to see your movie) = (small fortune). In other words, wouldn't movie makers ripping off a novel without buying the rights be utter stupidity, even without taking into account potential lawsuits? Seems more likely that any similarity to the book is simply using popular trophes, as tchernabyelo suggested, with a sprinkle of coincidence thrown in.

Robert Orme