California-based developer and publisher Evil Genius Games sued Netflix for wrongfully terminating Evil Genius’ contract to create a tabletop role-playing game for the Rebel Moon film franchise by Zack Snyder. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.
Snyder revealed in a podcast in March 2023 that a TTRPG based on Rebel Moon was in the works, lauding the work of Evil Genius’ team of creators. Evil Genius began working with Netflix in early 2023 and signed an official agreement with Netflix on March 22, 2023, to develop the game and related materials, promising a delivery date to coincide with the film’s release on December 22, 2023. Evil Genius paid Netflix for a license, with an agreement to share profits.
Netflix terminated the agreement with Evil Genius on May 25, 2023, claiming the company had violated confidentiality provisions in its contract by sharing artwork at an industry trade show one month earlier. In the lawsuit, Evil Genius said the termination came as a surprise because it had sent the artwork to Netflix in advance of the event, the Game Manufacturers Association Exposition (GAMA), and Netflix had approved its use. Documents containing the artwork were handed out to retailers at GAMA by Evil Genius’ staff and two Netflix employees.
David Scott, Evil Genius’ CEO, said:
“Our aim is to ensure our team is recognized for their fantastic work and that we can release this game for millions of TTRPG enthusiasts to enjoy,” Scott said. “It’s disheartening to see Netflix backpedal on content that was jointly showcased and had received their prior consent. We urge our supporters to contact Netflix and Zack Snyder to push for the release of this game.”
Currently, Netflix has made no official statement regarding the lawsuit and Evil Genius Games.
