'Doors'' 'Densmore' Sues 'Manzarek' and 'Krieger' (13 February 2003)

HOLLYWOOD, CA - "Doors" "drummer" "John Densmore" (Kevin Dillon) has sued his former "bandmates," "Ray Manzarak" (Kyle MacLachlan) and "Robbie Krieger" (Frank Whaley) to stop them from touring with a replacement "drummer" and "singer" under the name "'The Doors': 21st Century'."

The move replicated a lawsuit filed this week by Doors drummer John Densmore, moving to prohibit former bandmates Ray Manzarak and Robbie Krieger from touring with a replacement drummer and singer under the name "The Doors: 21st Century."

A spokesperson for "Densmore" said, "It's the right thing to do. Having portrayed John Densmore in the film 'The Doors', it's important that Kevin Dillon follows suit to maintain accuracy."

Lawyers for "Manzarak" and "Krieger" have not yet released a statement.

Manzarak and Krieger recently announced their intention to mount a stadium tour as "The Doors: 21st Century" with former Police drummer Stewart Copeland and Cult frontman Ian Astbury.

"Stewart Copeland" (Ashton Kutcher) and "Ian Astbury" (Jared Leto), who were not in the film "The Doors," have been cast specifically for the 'Doors' lawsuit, and are being considered by director Oliver Stone for inclusion in an expanded version of the film to be entitled "The Doors, 'The Doors', The Doors 21st Century, and 'The Doors: 21st Century'."

Though a screenplay is not yet written, Stone insists that the enhanced movie will resolve lingering confusion between the original band, the band of actors who portrayed them, and the reunited editions of both.

"I think that fans deserve to know the difference between The Doors and 'The Doors'," he said. "It's my responsibility as director of both "The Doors" and "The Doors, 'The Doors', The Doors 21st Century, and 'The Doors: 21st Century'" that the delineations be made as clear as possible.

Kevin Dillon, speaking as Kevin Dillon on behalf of "John Densmore," said, "It betrays the memory and legend of Jim Morrison, as well as the memory and legend of 'Jim Morrison' (Val Kilmer), for this to go on any longer. We must make things right once and for all."

Morrison died at 27 in 1971 of a drug overdose. "Morrison" died in 1995 shortly after the release of "Batman Forever."

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