Amber Benson's new comedic sci-fi film Drones is eerily like the new SyFy Channel series Human Relations. Only - Drones came first. Hm.
On her official blog today, and all over twitter, Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was making fans aware that she feels slighted by SyFy Channel for coming up with a TV series JUST like Drones ( which she co-directed with Adam Busch.)
SyFy (formerly the Sci-Fi Channel) released their new slate of 7 upcoming pilots for 2010-2011 yesterday - and one of them was just a little too close to Benson's film to not seem a little fishy.
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Now I can't say that they ripped our film off because we all know that people do think up similar, competing ideas at the same time (think VOLCANO vs. DANTE'S PEAK or not...they're both pretty terrible), but it just seems rather odd that our trailer premiered exclusively on the SyFy channel's website in January and now, six-ish months later, they're making a TV show with an intriguingly similar plot.
So, what's the official plot of Human Relations on SyFy Channel?
"The Office meets Men In Black in this project featuring an office Temp who slowly discovers that his off-kilter and odd-ball bosses at the strange hi-tech "ad agency" where he works are really aliens working on plan to destroy the Earth."
And the synopsis of Drones?
"The Office meets The Day The Earth Stood Still...is about a guy who works in an office with a kooky, off-kilter boss/co-workers, who then discovers that he's really working with aliens who are plotting to blow-up the Earth."
Benson goes on to say,
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Crazy, huh? And if there's as much PowerPoint action in Human Relations as there is in Drones...well, that would just be an amazing cowinky-dink! I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
At first glance, as a fan and a journalist, I have to say my gut instinct is that someone saw Drones and liked it so much that they decided to make it their own idea. I'm not sure if anyone would ever admit to such a thing (how the hell could it be proven?) but it sure does smell like FISH.
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The whole thing kinda sucks for Adam and I because we poured two and half years of our life (and a little blood and gray matter, too) into Drones. But I feel exceedingly bad for our writers, Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, because this was their baby, ripped from their own brains and transplanted onto celluloid––and now they get to see someone else take their idea and run with it. Not that I'm saying anyone stole their idea – I'm just postulating a possibility, a conspiracy theory conjecture, if you will. I don't know the guys writing/producing HUMAN RELATIONS and I have not read the script, so I can't say there is any wrong doing. I just think it's a bit... coincidental.
Watch the Drones trailer:
Drones will be on DVD in march 2011 from Phase Four Films in the United States, and Benson wants you to check it out just so you can compare it to Human Relations. She adds,
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And if SyFy wants, they can air Drones on their channel whenever they want. It's theirs. Then you can be the judge.
That blows, and I'm sure it happens much more often than we realise.
I'd really like to see DRONES. It has the wonderful Angela Bettis and at least two cast members from FREAKS AND GEEKS, so that's pretty awesome right there.
I saw a different preview for Drones and have been waiting for it to come out on DVD for about 6 months. Nice to know Syfy (doesn't the new name just sum it all up?) decided to clone the movie before it was released.
I'm not sure I am ready to assume this is a ripoff. As much as I hate to say it... The Office Meets _______ is pretty easy to come up with. This is not a slam on Benson and Busch-it's a good concept. But not terribly hard to believe someone else had the same idea. The "They stole our idea!" scenario actually happens less than people think... the synchronicity of two movies or similar shows is often many minds thinking alike. Studios often buy the rights to books and movies and scripts that they stumble on that seem similar to what they are working on just to in case someone tries to make such an accusation. I am more skeptical that this was an outright ripoff than I am that Sy Fy actually boldly stole the idea. Especially since they have been in development for awhile for 2010-2011. TV shows are not thrown together that quickly.
That blows, and I'm sure it happens much more often than we realise.
I'd really like to see DRONES. It has the wonderful Angela Bettis and at least two cast members from FREAKS AND GEEKS, so that's pretty awesome right there.