For the past 10 weeks, a Hollywood producer has faced off against a studio in a Santa Monica courtroom stemming from a civil case that has caused barely a news ripple. Back in January 2018, “Lone Survivor” producer Norton Herrick sued toy giant Mattel over a 2018 contract dispute regarding the production of Mattel’s reality competition show “ The Toy Box ,” which ran on ABC for two seasons. In his initial complaint, Herrick claimed he brought a project to Mattel in June 2014 called “Playmakers,” which revolved around contestants pitching their toys to child judges and winning prize money.
According to the suit, Mattel executives loved the idea and indicated they were moving forward with it only to pursue a replica without his involvement. The “Barbie” producer ultimately produced a similar version of the concept in 2017 with “The Toy Box.” The case has garnered almost no press coverage over the ensuing six-plus years, perhaps because it was under conditional seal because it included trade secrets.
Mattel’s request for summary judgment was denied, and Herrick Productions v. Mattel became the rare Hollywood case that moved all the way to trial. Though the case has played out under the radar, it could have industry-wide implications about how studios take pitches and what steps need to be taken if they repurpose their ideas.
On Friday, the case will go the jury, which will decide if Herrick did, in fact, lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars when hi.