'Buckaroo Banzai' Series Embroiled In Lawsuit, Prompting Kevin Smith To Leave

Over the summer, we learned that Kevin Smith was attached to a TV series adaptation of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension with MGM behind the project that was slated to debut on Amazon sometime next year. However, it appears a lawsuit will stall the creation of the project, and it has caused the departure of Kevin Smith as well.

Find out more about the Buckaroo Banzai TV series debacle after the jump.

Kevin Smith was prepared to finally have his own TV show with this Buckaroo Banzai project, but it appears that in order for it to get made, a lawsuit had to be filed by the studio. The rights to Buckaroo Banzai are currently owned by the 1984 film's director W.D. Richter and writer Earl Mac Rauch. Apparently the only way to get them back in order to make a TV show was to file a lawsuit against them, and that's what MGM did on November 23.

However, this came as a surprise to Kevin Smith, and due to the complicated legal issues between the studio and the creators, he has decided to withdraw from the project entirely. In a long-winded video about multiple topics on Facebook, here's what Smith had to say about the matter:

Without those two dudes, I don't fall in love with that property... I don't want to make anything unless those two dudes are involved. They had the vision. Like, all we're doing is taking their amazing vision and making a TV show of it.

After expressing more of his disappointment, he flat out said, "I'm no longer involved. I don't wish anybody harm; I wish all parties well. I hope these dudes come to an agreement, and if they do and they still want me involved down the road, I'll be here. But why would they?"

You have to give credit to Kevin Smith for having enough integrity to give up a dream job like this. Smith had previously wanted to bring back the creators to work on the show in some capacity, so he's not down to sue them just so he can make his own show. Even if you're not a Kevin Smith fan, this is a bit of a bummer, because Buckaroo Banzai fans were probably looking forward to seeing the property make a comeback. There's a chance it could still happen if MGM can come to some kind of deal with Richter and Rauch, but that could be a long way off.