Released in 2020, the crime/action flick stars Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery, Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Grant, and Charlie Hunnam.
It tells the story of cannabis mogul Mickey Pearson (McConaughey), who plans to sell his profitable marijuana empire following his retirement.
But, it stimulates an array of wrongdoings in the name of greed.
Ritchie, 54, directed and wrote the screenplay for the movie, but now another writer says his script copied scenes from a draft he sent to the director previously.
Mickey De Hara filed a lawsuit in the London High Court last month, which has been seen by US entertainment publication Variety.
De Hara claims that Ritchie commissioned him to write a sequel to the 2008 gangster film RockNRolla, based on De Hara’s ‘personal life experiences’ after he was once convicted of possession of cocaine and cannabis ‘with intent to supply’, for which he faced jail time.
The writer reportedly claims that he sent his screenplay to Ritchie in 2018, telling the story of a protagonist who runs a marijuana business.
However, he reportedly received feedback from Ritchie that ‘the time of the gangster movie was over’, giving the proposal the brush off.
Fast forward to 2020, and De Hara was shocked to see The Gentlemen resemble the project he reportedly pitched.
De Hara claims the film is a ‘substantial’ reproduction of his original script.
He also says it copies ‘unique aspects’ of his plot, including a protagonist who runs a marijuana empire and an aristocrat with a drug-addicted child.
De Hara claims one scene in The Gentlemen in particular was ‘directly reproduced’ from his proposed script.
The scene in question sees a character called Coach (played by Farrell) lead a group of fighters called The Toddlers as they get into a scuffle with some youths in a café, squirting vinegar into their eyes.
He says his version also featured a character called Coach who led a group of thugs nicknamed The Baby Squad.
De Hara says he reached out to Ritchie in January 2020 by text, after The Gentlemen hit screens.
He claims to have pointed out the similarities between the two projects, to which Ritchie supposedly responded: ‘Mickey, I and my people have tried to contact you for some years now. There was no response.’
The director reportedly said he was ‘happy for us to sit down and have a chat.’
De Hara denies that Ritchie made any attempt to contact him regarding the project in advance of its release.
Then in April 2020, De Hara says he asked Ritchie to give him a writer credit on the film prior to its digital release.
But, he claims he was told it would not be possible, with Ritchie and one of his associates offering to give him a writing credit for another project instead, in which he played no part.
‘I have a feeling that might be too late Mickey,’ Ritchie is said to have texted, as per the lawsuit.
‘I’ll try, but what I can do is get you a credit on something in the future. Let me see what I can do. Honestly, we did try to get hold of you.’
In the lawsuit, De Hara says he ‘has no intention of seeking credit for original work that was not created by him’.
He is instead seeking ‘credit for his original work that has been used in The Gentlemen without his consent and without payment of the agreed remuneration.’
The writer is also seeking over $250,000 (£201k), which includes a share of the film’s profits.
The Gentlemen grossed $115.2million (around £92.6m) at the box office, following a $22million (£17.7m) budget.
Reps for Guy Ritchie have been contacted for comment.
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