'Hurt Locker' director seeks lawsuit's dismissal

[March 04, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Oscar-winning director and screenwriter of "The Hurt Locker" are asking a federal judge to dismiss an Iraq war veteran's lawsuit alleging the film is based on him.

Attorneys for director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal argue in court filings that Master Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver cannot prove he is the basis for the bomb technician in the film. They also argue in court papers filed Wednesday that the movie is protected by the First Amendment.

The film's producers have also asked to have Sarver's lawsuit dismissed. The case was filed in March 2010, just days before Bigelow, Boal and the film won Academy Awards.

A phone message for Sarver's attorney Todd Weglarz was not immediately returned. According to court filings, Sarver is currently deployed in Afghanistan.

[Associated Press; By ANTHONY McCARTNEY]

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