Bomb Expert Suing Over “The Hurt Locker”

Michigan veteran says movie based on him

A real life bomb disposal expert who served in the Iraq war is suing the makers of "The Hurt Locker," claiming the main character of the Oscar-nominated movie is based on him and the title is a phrase he coined.

Master Sgt. Jeffry Sarver claims screenplay writer Mark Boal was embedded in his unit and used information gathered there without paying Sarver, according to his attorney, Geoffrey Fieger. Feiger, a former candidate for governor of Michigan and onetime lawyer for Dr. Jack Kevorkian, said he plans to file the multimillion-dollar lawsuit in Detroit federal court, according to The Associated Press.

The film is nominated for nine Academy Awards, including best original screenplay.

Sarver says the main character, Will James, is based on him and that James' call signal, "Blaster One," was his during his tours of duty, Fieger said. Sarver also says he coined the phrase "The Hurt Locker."

The movie's distributor, Summit Entertainment, issued a statement saying it hopes "for a quick resolution to the claims made by Master Sgt. Sarver."

"The film is a story about heroes depicting a fictional account of what brave men and women do on the battlefield," the company said. "We have no doubt that Master Sgt. Sarver served his country with honor and commitment risking his life for a greater good, but we distributed the film based on a fictional screenplay written by Mark Boal."

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