Kevin Smith’s ‘Buckaroo Banzai’ Held Up Over Legal Dispute With Creators

Last we heard, Kevin Smith’s TV take on The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension was likely bound for Amazon, so what’s the holdup? Apparently the original writer and director, as MGM is now suing the pair for the rights to proceed with Smith’s TV series.

Per Deadline, MGM has filed suit against Buckaroo Banzai writer Earl Mac Rauch and director Walter Richter, both of whom allege to hold rights to the property. MGM is pressing that the ownership claims should be overruled by the statute of limitations, and seeks “a declaration of the rights and legal relations of the parties with regard to Buckaroo Banzai.”

For those unfamiliar with the 1984 film, Buckaroo Banzai follows Banzai (Peter Weller) as his Jet Car experiment unwittingly opens a dimensional gateway to a battle between alien races the Red and Black Lectroids. In addition to Weller, the cast also featured John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Clancy Brown, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and others.

Smith previously suggested that a first season might cover the events of the film, with a second adapting the Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League promised by the first movie’s credits, but never produced.

You can watch the original Buckaroo Banzai trailer below, and stay tuned for more official updates on the case.