The Enigmatic Book of Eli: Unveiling the Uncredited Genius Behind the Words

Highlights

Screenwriter Gary Whitta complains about The Book of Eli streaming without giving him writing credit, highlighting the mistreatment of writers during the ongoing strike.

The film, initially receiving mixed reviews, has become popular on home streaming platforms, benefiting everyone involved except for Whitta, the sole writer. Whitta's tweet addressing the writing credit issue places blame on both the original studio and the streaming service Max, highlighting the broader struggles faced by writers in the industry.

Screenwriter Gary Whitta, known for his work on The Book of Eli, recently voiced his dissatisfaction on social media regarding the film's success on a streaming service without giving him proper credit. This issue is especially significant considering the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America, which aims to address similar instances of mistreatment. Released in 2010 and directed by the Hughes Brothers, The Book of Eli is a post-apocalyptic neo-western action film set in North America. The story revolves around El, a nomad tasked with delivering a mysterious manuscript to a safe location on the West Coast. However, his journey is obstructed by the Warlord's followers, who seek to exploit the manuscript's power. Despite receiving mixed reviews initially, the film achieved considerable commercial success, exceeding its $80 million budget due in part to the involvement of acclaimed actor Denzel Washington, known for his notable performances both in front of and behind the camera.

The Book of Eli, once considered an underrated film, has gained popularity through home streaming. However, there is a major flaw in the writing credits, as the names of the Hughes brothers and Washington are given, completely disregarding the contributions of Whitta, the sole writer. Whitta took to social media to express his frustration about this situation. In a post featuring a picture of the credits on a screen, Whitta mentioned that The Book of Eli is currently the top featured movie on StreamOnMax, but criticized the fact that three people who were not writers of the film are credited while his name is omitted. He also blamed the original studio's attribution and the streaming service Max, which recently removed Zack Snyder's Justice League from its library.

Whitta is a well-known figure in the industry with notable credits such as Rogue One, The Walking Dead, Star Wars Rebels, Batman: Fortress, and Gundog. This incident exemplifies the challenges faced by writers, which has resulted in the current strike action taken by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild. Even independent and unscripted content like Dimension20 and Critical Role has not been left unaffected. It remains to be seen if Whitta's tweet will bring resolution to this specific situation.

You can currently stream The Book of Eli on Max.

Source: Gary Whitta/Twitter