'Avengers' Director Joss Whedon Faces Copyright Infringement Suit for 'Cabin in the Woods'

In the realm of Marvel, Joss Whedon can do no wrong. It's when he's out of it things get a little tricky. The famed Avengers: Age of Ultron director has found himself in a bit of a bind. He is currently the target of a copyright infringement lawsuit for his horror movie Cabin in the Woods. According to the suit, Whedon took the idea from a 2006 Peter Gallagher novel The Little White Trip: A Night in Pines.

The suit was filed in a California federal court Monday, April 13, just weeks away from his big Avengers premiere. Whedon, who produced and co-wrote the script; its director Drew Goodard; Lionsgate; and Mutant Enemy productions are all named on the suit. Gallagher is looking for more than $10 million in damages from the group.

Official court documents compare both the Whedon film and the Gallagher novel.

"Like the Book, the Film tells the story of five friends (three males and two females) between the ages of 17 and 22 who take a take a trip to a remote cabin in the woods," the document stated. "The similarities between the two works are striking. Even the names of the lead characters are similar. In the Book, the lead female blonde and brunette characters are named Julie and Dura respectively, whereas in the Film they are named Jules and Dana. Similarly, the cabin in the Book is called the "Brinkley Cabin," whereas it is the "Buckner Cabin" in the Film."

What makes this story even more complicated is the fact that Gallagher was contacted by multiple movie studios. He doesn't mention whether Lionsgate or Mutant Enemy productions were a part of that group, though. Whedon may be facing trouble with Cabin in the Woods, but he'll be OK by May 1.

That day the long awaited Age of Ultron will finally be released in theaters.