Imagine pouring years of your life into a passion project, only to see it snatched away and turned into a multimillion-dollar series without your name attached. That’s the explosive claim at the heart of a copyright lawsuit against Netflix’s high-profile Formula One miniseries, Senna. But here’s where it gets controversial: Author Lauren Wild alleges the streaming giant’s blockbuster series is a blatant rip-off of a script he developed years earlier, raising questions about creative theft in Hollywood’s cutthroat world. And this is the part most people miss—Wild’s story isn’t just about legal battles; it’s a cautionary tale for anyone who’s ever trusted their work to the wrong hands.
The series, which chronicles the life and tragic death of Ayrton Senna—a legend in the racing world and one of the greatest drivers in F1 history—was reportedly a massive investment for Netflix, with over $170 million poured into production. Filmed across Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, the six-part series aimed to captivate the global F1 fanbase. But Wild’s lawsuit paints a darker picture, claiming the project was built on the foundation of his own meticulously researched and copyrighted script, Built for Speed: Senna.
Here’s how the drama unfolded: In 2013, Wild met with then-Sony Pictures executive T. Paul Miller, who showed interest in his Senna project. Fast forward to 2016, and Miller, now at Warner Bros., connected Wild with producer Andrew Lazar to discuss a Senna feature film. Wild was told his script needed revisions, and he began collaborating with Warner Bros., even sharing his treatment and other work with Gullane, the production company behind the project. The twist? Wild’s script, which included fictionalized characters and events, was allegedly used as the blueprint for Netflix’s series—without his consent or credit.
From 2016 to 2018, Wild wrote 11 episodes for Built for Speed: Senna, registered his work with the U.S. Copyright Office and the Writers Guild of America, and even shared the first six episodes with Gullane producer Gabriel Lacerda. He was offered the role of showrunner and co-writer, but negotiations stalled, and no formal agreement was ever signed. And this is where it gets messy: In 2019, Gullane abruptly cut ties with Wild, claiming they were shifting focus to another project. Yet, in 2024, Netflix released Senna—a series Wild claims is ‘substantially similar’ to his work, down to the fictional elements he created.
Wild’s lawsuit doesn’t hold back, accusing Netflix and Gullane of copyright infringement, breach of implied contract, and unjust enrichment. He argues Netflix failed to conduct proper due diligence before greenlighting the series, raising broader questions about accountability in the industry. Here’s the burning question: Did Netflix knowingly ignore Wild’s claims, or were they misled by Gullane? And what does this mean for creators who entrust their work to big studios?
The series, directed by Vicente Amorim and Júlia Rezende and written by Álvaro Campos, Gustavo Bragança, and Rafael Spínola, has already made waves. But Wild’s lawsuit threatens to derail its success, seeking to block further exploitation of the show. What do you think? Is this a case of creative theft, or just a coincidence in storytelling? Let us know in the comments—this debate is far from over.
