Master Sgt. Jeffrey S. Sarver claims that the plot of the film, "The Hurt Locker" that focuses on an Army bomb squad was based on the story of his own life.
Life story rights are routinely obtained by movie studios to avoid such suits brought by people who claim to be damaged by depictions in a film or television show.
That’s why audiences will often see the language displayed at the end of a film, "…any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental."
Sarver alleges that the main character of “Hurt Locker,” "Will James" is actually him.
The veteran claims that the film falsely claims that the characters portrayed in the movie are fictional.
Journalist Mark Boal wrote the “Hurt Locker” script and reportedly based it on a Playboy magazine article entitled "Death and Dishonor" written in 2004. Boal was embedded with the military.
Sarver asserts that Boal came into contact with the veteran when Boal was in Iraq as an embedded journalist.
The veteran even contends that he came up with the words that became the title of the film, “Hurt Locker.”
The timing of the suit may be pleasing to James Cameron since his film, “Avatar” is in a tug of war with "Hurt Locker" for the Best Picture category.
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