‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Writer’s Cousin Sues, Claiming He Wrote Key Scenes

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Eric Singer’s cousin filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures on Sunday, alleging that he contributed unacknowledged and uncompensated action sequences to the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.

I, Shaun Gray, a visual effects artist by profession, claim that I collaborated extensively on the script for a certain project alongside my cousin and Director Joseph Kosinski. Over a span of five months, I diligently maintained detailed, time-stamped records to document my involvement in the project.

In my opinion as a movie critic, this film sheds light on the injustice faced by Gray, a gifted screenwriter, who was unfairly manipulated and exploited by the influential figures of Hollywood. The lawsuit calls out these Defendants for their unscrupulous actions, specifically for misusing Gray’s creative work to amass substantial profits.

Previously, Gray had collaborated with Singer prior to the release of “Top Gun.” As per his IMDb profile, he was recognized as an unaccredited ‘script consultant’ in the film “Only the Brave,” which Singer co-wrote and Kosinski directed. Additionally, he is acknowledged as Singer’s script assistant on “The International.

As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that I was indeed part of the “Top Gun” production process. This revelation came from J.J. “Yank” Cummings, a seasoned Navy fighter pilot turned film advisor, who confirmed my involvement in a 2022 interview with GQ. According to him, we had several script-related meetings, contributing to the movie’s final cut.

Initially, it was just me, Eric, and Shaun. For five consecutive days, we immersed ourselves in a hotel room in San Diego, meticulously examining every line of the screenplay. Approximately a month later, Eric, Shaun, and I spent another five days in Eric’s office in Santa Monica. During the final two days, Joe joined us to assess our progress. Consequently, we invested quite a bit of time collaborating closely together.

Previously, lawyer Marc Toberoff represented the family of Ehud Yonay, the original “Top Gun” magazine author from 1983, in a lawsuit against Paramount. This case was discarded last year, but it’s still being contested on appeal.

Maverick’, we, at Paramount, assert that it is entirely baseless,” said our representative in a statement. “We are optimistic that a court will dismiss this claim too, as we find it without substance.

As an experienced legal expert specializing in copyright issues, I’ve taken Warner Bros. to task for the distribution of “Superman” in various international markets. Unfortunately, my initial lawsuit was dismissed last week, but I’ve picked up where I left off and re-filed the case in a state court.

Gray claims he penned more than a dozen action sequences for “Top Gun: Maverick,” which were included in the movie and significantly contributed to its box office success.

Gray asserts co-ownership of the movie’s copyright and contends he has the right to a court order preventing Paramount from using his copyrighted content while the lawsuit is ongoing.

I was in awe of the remarkable collaboration that brought the film to life, with the singer joining forces with Christopher McQuarrie and Ehren Kruger in co-writing the script. Peter Craig and Justin Marks also contributed to the story’s conception, earning them a “story by” credit. Their collective efforts earned them an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay, leaving me utterly impressed by their artistic synergy.

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2025-04-28 20:48