Yahoo Movies Total Recall writer slams lawsuit on Disney claiming Zootropolis plagiarism
Gary L. Goldman, the writer of movies including action classic ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Big Trouble In Little China’, is suing Disney, claiming that it ripped off his idea with its movie ‘Zootropolis’.
Goldman filed his complaint in Los Angeles yesterday, saying that he pitched the idea to Disney on two occasions – once in 2000 and again in 2009 – providing a treatment, synopsis, character descriptions and illustrations.
He adds that he even came up with the name ‘Zootopia’, as it was called in the US.
“Instead of lawfully acquiring Goldman’s work, Defendants said they were not interested in producing it and sent him on his way,” reads the complaint.
“Thereafter, consistent with their culture of unauthorized copying, Defendants copied Goldman’s work. They copied Goldman’s themes, settings, plot, characters, and dialogue — some virtually verbatim.”
The suit begins with what appears to be a direct quote from the film’s director Byron Howard, saying: “Don’t worry if you feel like you’re copying something, because if it comes through you, it’s going to filter through you and you’re going to bring your own unique perspective to it.”
Goldman also provided visuals to support his claim, with what he says are original drawings alongside those which eventually appeared in the movie.
It also claims that Disney has form in this area, accusing it of also ripping off the ideas for ‘The Lion King’, ‘Toy Story’, ‘Monsters Inc.’, ‘Up’, and ‘Inside Out’.
In response, a spokesperson for Disney said: “Mr. Goldman’s lawsuit is riddled with patently false allegations. It is an unprincipled attempt to lay claim to a successful film he didn’t create, and we will vigorously defend against it in court.”
‘Zootropolis’ grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, as well as scoring the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
