Screenwriter Accuses Richard Curtis and Emma Freud of 'Erasing' His Contribution to 'Yesterday' Musical

American screenwriter Jack Barth has accused filmmaker Richard Curtis and his wife, Emma Freud, of "systematically scrubbing" his contribution to the story that became the £125 million box office hit "Yesterday." Barth claims he has been deliberately excluded from discussions and credit for the musical adaptation of the Beatles-inspired film.

Curtis and Freud are currently developing the musical for the West End, with Freud announcing that The Beatles' music would be legally featured for the first time in a stage production. Barth, however, expressed his dismay, calling the couple "arrogant pigs" and stating that he feels they have "done everything in their immense power to obscure my contribution and divert all the credit for my ideas over to Mr Curtis."

Barth wrote the original script, titled "Cover Version," in 2012. The story followed a struggling musician who discovers he is the only person alive who remembers The Beatles and begins passing off their songs as his own. With assistance from actor and writer Mackenzie Crook, Barth developed the screenplay before it was acquired by Working Title, the production company behind Curtis's other hits like "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill."

The 2019 film adaptation, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, and Ed Sheeran, received a joint "story by" credit for Barth and Curtis, with Curtis receiving sole credit for the screenplay. Barth alleges that Working Title previously stated he had been "well paid" for his "great idea" and that Curtis had written a new screenplay based on his concept.

Barth claims he has not been contacted about the musical, which has already undergone two workshops and 11 drafts, with a third workshop planned. He stated that he is due only a "shockingly low" fixed payment for the stage adaptation and will receive no share of its profits. He also revealed that he instructed a lawyer in 2019 to pursue a claim regarding perceived damages, but alleged that "Curtis et al refused to make amends."

Barth is seeking public acknowledgment of his original contribution and a renegotiation of his profit participation in the musical. Representatives for Curtis, Freud, and Working Title were contacted for comment.