Warner Bros. Television is facing a lawsuit claiming that its new medical drama “The Pitt” is, in effect, an unofficial reboot of “ER.”

The estate of the late Michael Crichton, who created the iconic medical series “ER,” has filed legal action against Warner Bros. Television in California, based on details of the complaint shared with YSL News. The lawsuit indicates that the studio tried to negotiate with Crichton’s estate for a reboot of “ER,” but when these discussions fell through, the producers simply shifted the setting from Chicago to Pittsburgh, renamed it “The Pitt,” and proceeded without giving any credit or compensation to Crichton or his heirs.

The lawsuit claims breach of contract and includes well-known actor Noah Wyle, who is set to star in “The Pitt,” as well as producers John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill among the defendants.

YSL News reached out to Warner Bros. for a response.

In their response to YSL News, the studio labeled the lawsuit as “baseless,” asserting that “The Pitt” is a “new and original show” and that “any claim to the contrary is false. Warner Bros. Television plans to defend against these unfounded accusations vigorously.”

The lawsuit highlights that when Crichton sold Warner Bros. the rights to the pilot episode script for “ER,” the studio conceded that no adaptations stemming from “ER” could be undertaken without his approval. This clause was meant to ensure that Crichton would receive appropriate recognition and that he and his heirs would gain compensation based on the success of “ER” in any future developments, according to the suit.

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The lawsuit states that the defendants initiated plans for a reboot of “ER” in 2020 intended for HBO Max, now branded as Max. During talks that followed, Warner Bros. Television reportedly “backtracked” on certain agreements, prompting the estate to decline to move forward. Instead of a proper “ER” reboot, the claim suggests that Warner Bros. began creating “exactly the same series” under a new title.

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In March, Max greenlit “The Pitt” for a full series order. This new medical drama is described as a “realistic portrayal of the trials faced by healthcare professionals in contemporary America, seen through the eyes of those working on the front lines in a modern Pittsburgh hospital.” While “ER” was set in Chicago, “The Pitt” will feature Wyle and be produced by R. Scott Gemmill and John Wells, both of whom were involved with “ER.”

“‘The Pitt’ is ‘ER,'” asserts the lawsuit. “It’s not merely similar to ‘ER,’ it doesn’t just resemble ‘ER’; it is ‘ER,’ replete with the same executive producer, writer, star, production companies, studio, and network as the proposed ‘ER’ reboot.”

The lawsuit further claims this was a deliberate move to deny Crichton credit as the creator and to profit from his legacy “while not giving his heirs a dime,” stating, “The Defendants aim not just to downplay Crichton’s recognition but to erase him entirely and to deprive his heirs of the rewards from one of his standout works.”

In her statement provided to YSL News, Sherri Crichton, the author’s widow and estate guardian, accused Warner Bros. of engaging in “intimidation tactics and showing blatant disregard for legal obligations, Crichton, and his audience,” asserting, “If Warner Bros. can treat Michael Crichton this way, an exceptionally successful and influential creator who earned the studio billions throughout their collaboration, then no creator is secure.”

“ER” aired on NBC from 1994 to 2009 and was originally based on a screenplay written by Crichton in 1974 called “Emergency Ward.” Crichton, who credited as the creator of “ER,” passed away from cancer in 2008 at the age of 66. Over a decade later, James Patterson completed a manuscript written by Crichton, which was published as the novel “Eruption” earlier this year.