I'm not sure how many of you might have seen REPO!: The Genetic Opera, but I'm sure at least some of you have seen the trailer for Repo Men. Presently, there's a big fuss over how Universal (with Repo Men) seems to have fairly blatantly ripping off Repo! Opera. Naturally, there's a lot of rumor and such going around - but, if any of you are up for it, maybe we can have a somewhat more intelligent discussion of it. That means sources, folks. The ones I've seen so far are:

io9 article
Terrance Zdunich Part 1 and Part 2

I also looked up a little about "The Repossession Mambo," the book mentioned as the movie's basis. To me, it does look like a rip-off. A movie based on a book that hadn't been published yet? Most books have prove themselves, first. It seems like the book was simply thrown out in an attempt to gain credibility.

There's a lot of talk of boycotting Repo Men going around. I won't be bothering with that myself, but I certainly won't be going to the theater to see it. My choice on that isn't out of spite - it's precaution. Although the Repo! Opera creators are telling fans to behave themselves, there'll be many who never get that message, and others who simply ignore it, as there is in any crowd. So, it seems likely that there'll be hecklers in the theaters to ruin it for everyone, possibly even a few protesters. I'll just take it from Netflix, thanks.

So yeah, anybody got any thoughts on this, or more sources to share?

EDIT
Umbra posted a news article with his own research over on deviantArt. It's here if you want to see.

Personally, I think it's a non-issue. The Genetic Opera is a quirky little cult classic, and Repo Men is a big budget action flick. They live in completely different worlds.

Yes, they are certainly different sorts of movie, but there does seem to be an rather high number of coincedences, such as can be see here and here. Of course, some of those really seem like just picking, since certain things just sort of work with a theme. And though they are different sorts of movie, if one is a rip-off of the other, it's still a very wrong thing to do.

But, whether is it or isn't, the Repo! guys can't sue. All they can do in make sure all their stuff is out and visible, so that that can't be sued themselves.

*shrugs* But it seems no one's too interested in this anyway. ^^ Part of the point of posting this was just an attempt to stir up some real coversation.

This sort of thing isn't new, anyway. It seems to happen between 3D studios like Pixar and Dreamworks all the time. Finding Nemo and Shark Tale. A Bug's Life and Antz. The Ant Bully and Arthur And The Invisibles.

It's not like one is taking any profits from the other. And it's not like anyone's going to remember Repo Men five years from now as anything but yet another forgettable sci-fi action flick.

And it's quite understandable, as I was replying somewhat for the same reason. Vive le conversacion?

Yeah, I always did think it was kinda weird how 3D CGI movies tended to come out loosely paired like that. o.O

I generally don't pay enough attention to media and such to know much of anythign going on, to be honest. ^^;

Once or twice would be coincidence. Three or four times would be weird. But when it happens consistently over more than a decade, "weird" ain't even in the ballpark. It's a tradition of intellectual theft that is too vague to litigate, so no one bothers.

Everybody only remembers what Pixar turns out anyway. I had to look up the title of Dreamworks' answer to Finding Nemo, I could only remember it as 'that fish movie that had Will Smith, I think...'.

XD

The thing is, they always come out so close together, with the amount of work they take, they must have a good idea of what's going on some time before stuff even gets announced.

True, but that just means that these movies are in development at the same time so who had the original idea is questionable. (Though in REPO!'s case, I must admit, it ain't questionable, we know who had the idea first.)

Eh, maybe... documentation is proven further back for Repo! Opera, but dude who wrote the book Repo Men is supposed to be based on claims his idea of it started a longer time ago. *shrugs*

Holy crap! I just watched Repo! Genetic Opera and it was AMAZING! I loved it.

Haha, that it is!

And, aren't you glad that Nova's not quite that bad about Nashyll? XD

Yeah.... Rhober likes his organs intact.

Not quite what I meant, but yeah... That's usually a good thing.