‘Syriana’ suit to be heard May 29

A French court has delayed a hearing on a lawsuit filed by a screenwriter who alleges the complex global thriller “Syriana” was largely plagiarized from her script.

A preliminary hearing on the lawsuit filed by Stephanie Vergniault that had been set for Monday was rescheduled to May 29 for procedural reasons, officials said. The lawsuit targets George Clooney’s production company, Section Eight, which he formed with director Steven Soderbergh; Warner Bros.; and “Syriana” writer-director Stephen Gaghan.

Vergniault has said she wants 35% of the movie’s earnings in France and the U.S. She claims “Syriana” borrowed “very largely” from a script she completed in 2002. Titled “Oversight,” her story line involves CIA intrigues with oil companies in the Persian Gulf, according to the court filing.