Netflix and Brazilian production powerhouse Gullane are facing a new legal battle after California filmmaker Lauren Wild accused them of misappropriating his creative work for the Netflix Formula 1 Senna Series. The lawsuit, filed Friday, claims the streaming giant and producers lifted substantial material from Wild’s confidential project on the late racing icon Ayrton Senna—a Formula 1 legend whose tragic 1994 crash still echoes through motorsport history.
Wild’s Claims: Copyright, Contracts, and Broken Trust
Wild’s complaint levels multiple accusations—copyright infringement, breach of implied contract, breach of confidence, unjust enrichment, and violations of state law—against Netflix, Gullane, and individual producers. He alleges he had shared deeply researched, unpublished material about Senna’s life during private discussions meant to protect his intellectual property.
According to court filings, Wild met in 2013 with Sony Pictures executives T. Paul Miller and Peter Nelson, discussing his extensive research on Senna, including interviews with the driver’s inner circle. Although the Sony executives aren’t named as defendants, Wild asserts they expressed strong interest in his concept.
