A bomb disposal expert who sued the creators of the Academy Award contender The Hurt Locker faces an uphill legal battle in his efforts to get a cut of the proceeds and film recognition.
But Army Master Sergeant Jeffrey Sarver, 38, could get a big pay day, legal experts said.
''It's not a slam dunk, but he's got a decent shot,'' entertainment lawyer Howard Hertz, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, said soon after Southfield, Michigan, attorney Geoffrey Fieger held a 45-minute news conference to introduce Sergeant Sarver to reporters.
''I suspect there will be a settlement of this case,''
added Jonathan Handel, a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer and adjunct professor at the UCLA Law School.
On Wednesday, Mr Fieger and associate Todd Weglarz sued screenwriter Mark Boal, director Kathryn Bigelow, producer Nicolas Chartier and film distributor Summit Entertainment in New Jersey, where Sergeant Sarver lived when the film was released last year.
The film is up for nine Oscars on Sunday, including best film, screenplay, director and actor.
Boal spent 30 days embedded with Sergeant Sarver's unit in Iraq in 2004, wrote an 11-page Playboy magazine article about the exploits of Sarver and his team in 2005, and wrote a movie whose main character, Will James, bears a strong resemblance to Sarver, the suit said.
''Hollywood has made billions from exploiting the courage and sacrifice of veterans,'' Mr Fieger said at the news conference. ''It's about time they share some of that wealth.''
Mr Fieger said Boal co-opted Sergeant Sarver's call sign, Blaster One, several details from Sarver's background, his mannerisms and the phrase ''The Hurt Locker'' in creating the James character.
''There's no question here that Sergeant Sarver is Will James,'' Mr Fieger said.
Sergeant Sarver, for his part, said he was disappointed that he was left out. ''They never offered anything,'' he told reporters.
Summit Entertainment earlier issued a statement saying it hoped for a quick resolution of the case. Boal told the Los Angeles Times that Will James is a fictional character.
DETROIT FREE PRESS