Japanese publisher Futabasha is suing Korean film production company Show East over the rights to make a Hollywood adaptation of Old Boy. The lawsuit was filed at the Seoul Central District Court on Monday, though it was publicly announced today.

Futabasha is suing to invalidate the contract between itself and Show East, due to a breach of contract. Futabasha alleges that Show East violated the agreement with Futabasha when Show East pushed for the production of a live-action remake of the film with Universal Pictures USA. Show East signed its film rights licensing agreement with Futabasha in September 2002, followed by a second contract in December 2003 that amended the original.

Last November, Variety reported that director Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark) and actor Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness, Independence Day) were collaborating on an adaptation of the Korean Old Boy Film. Smith later stated that the film was an adaptation of the Old Boy manga.

Old Boy was created by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi in 1997. Dark Horse Comics currently holds the domestic rights to the Old Boy Manga. The company published the series in North America from 2006 to 2007. Old Boy won an Eisner Award in 2007 for Best US Edition of International Material.