Ananova:

Madonna and Guy Ritchie are to appear in court over claims they stole the idea for their 2002 film remake of Swept Away.

Director and actor Vincent D'Onofrio alleges Madonna and Ritchie took his idea for a remake of the 1975 Italian comedy - which was panned by critics - and then cut him out of the credits.

The case will be heard before a judge in Los Angeles on May 4.

D'Onofrio began the lawsuit in 2002, claiming he pitched the idea of making it to Madonna in 1997 and had several meetings with her and Ritchie, reports Teletext.

D'Onofrio claims he received no credit for his idea. His lawyer says he will seek $10 million (£5.5m) in damages. But lawyers for Madonna and Ritchie say D'Onofrio does not have proof of a contract with the singer or Sony, who distributed the film.

Film critics may be baffled as to why D'Onofrio is laying claim to the idea for Swept Away, considering it bombed at the box office and was critically panned. And when the movie went straight to video in the UK, even Ritchie admitted it was rubbish.

He said: "It won't be released in the UK because it's rubbish. We wanted to make an arty little film but we had the absolute faeces kicked out of us."

The film stars Madonna as a wealthy woman stranded on a desert island with a sailor. The LA Times described it as "a rough trade Punch and Judy act", while Rolling Stone magazine said it was a "shipwreck".

The Washington Post said: "At no point should anyone mistake this for an actual movie. It is as awful as you've heard and as bad as you've imagined."