Actor Will Smith has been cleared of all claims in a $1.7 million copyright lawsuit concerning the 2019 sci-fi film Gemini Man. According to In Touch, a federal judge dismissed the allegations against him on 31 January, though the lawsuit against other defendants remains active. 

Sci-fi author Kissinger Sibanda had filed the case against Will, along with Skydance Productions, Gemini Pictures, Paramount Pictures, David Ellison, and other companies, alleging that Gemini Man was plagiarised from his 2011 novel The Return to Gibraltar.

While Will is no longer involved in the case, the author is expected to continue legal proceedings against the remaining defendants. 

Kissinger claims that his book tells the story of an African American who is cloned and used in a time-travel programme without consent. He alleged that elements such as themes, characters, and cultural aspects were lifted from his work.

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He also noted that the film had been in development since 1997 but struggled to progress until after his book’s release. Additionally, he stated that he had shared a copy of his novel with Will’s stunt double in 2012, though he could not recall their name. 

The lawsuit further alleged that copies of his book were sent to a major Hollywood talent agency. In 2020, Kissinger sent a legal notice regarding the matter but received no response.

Will and the production companies responded to the case in November 2024, arguing that the author had previously filed a similar lawsuit that was dismissed due to a lack of registered copyright.

A week after that dismissal, Kissinger refilled his complaint. 

Despite a production budget of $138 million (excluding marketing costs), Gemini Man earned $173 million worldwide.