Crichton Estate Battles to Stop Acclaimed Series 'The Pitt' from Airing

In a high-profile legal battle, the estate of renowned author John Michael Crichton is suing to prevent the HBO Max series 'The Pitt' from airing. The estate claims the show is a derivative work of Crichton's hit medical drama 'ER', which ran for 15 seasons on NBC.

However, the creators of 'The Pitt' have fiercely contested the allegations, arguing that their show is an entirely original work. In a nearly 70-page appeal brief filed this week, the 'The Pitt' team, led by Gibson Dunn's Ted Boutrous Jr., asserts that the show "is no more a 'derivative work' of ER than is any other hospital drama." They highlight the differences in characters, plot, themes, setting, and storytelling device between the two shows.

The legal battle began in August 2024 when the Crichton estate filed a breach of contract lawsuit, hoping to stop 'The Pitt' from ever seeing the light of day. In February 2025, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled against the defendants' anti-SLAPP motion, allowing the case to proceed to trial.

Now, as Warner Bros. Discovery is up for sale, the 'The Pitt' crew is seeking to halt the ongoing litigation, arguing that the lawsuit poses a "terrible precedent" for the film and television industry. They contend that the Crichton estate is attempting to "seize control over any emergency medical drama" the defendants might work on, which they describe as "an outright assault on free expression."

The Crichton estate's lawyer, however, dismisses the appeal as merely a "rehash of arguments the trial court has already soundly rejected." The fate of 'The Pitt' now hangs in the balance as the legal battle continues to unfold.