A parenting and child development specialist has sued Walt Disney Co and its Pixar unit, accusing them of stealing from her the concept for their 2015 blockbuster movie, "Inside Out."
In a complaint filed on Monday in Los Angeles federal court, Denise Daniels said the animated film, featuring colour-coded characters representing individual human emotions, mirrors a children's programme called "The Moodsters" that she conceived and pitched to Disney every year from 2005 to 2009.
Daniels, who lives in Minnesota's Twin Cities area and has appeared on TV shows including "Today" and "Oprah," said she had an "implied-in-fact" contract with Disney requiring that she be paid from box office, DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes and merchandise revenue from "Inside Out."
The film has grossed more than $850 million worldwide since its June 2015 release. Daniels said this "extreme success" was not possible without her work, and that Disney should pay her because it is "custom and common in the entertainment industry."
A Disney spokesman, however, said "Inside Out" was an original Pixar creation. "We look forward to vigorously defending against this lawsuit in court," the spokesman said.
Ronald Schutz, a lawyer for Daniels, declined to comment. Daniels was unavailable to comment.
The lawsuit is at least the second in three months accusing Disney of stealing a concept for a blockbuster film.
In March, the Hollywood screenwriter Gary Goldman, whose credits include the Arnold Schwarzenegger film "Total Recall," sued Disney for allegedly copying its Oscar-winning animated film "Zootopia" from his work.
"Inside Out" follows 11-year-old Riley, voiced by Kaitlyn Dias, as she tries to cope with her family's move to San Francisco from Minnesota.
It also shows her dealing with personifications of five emotions: Joy (yellow), Sadness (blue), Fear (purple), Anger (red) and Disgust (green), voiced by Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling.
Daniels said this resembled "The Moodsters," in which characters also had assigned colours: Happiness (yellow), Sadness (blue), Fear (green), Anger (red) and Love (pink).
According to her complaint, "Inside Out" director Pete Docter, former Disney Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs and several other Disney executives had access to her pitch.
No individuals were named as defendants.
In the "Zootopia" case, Disney has denied wrongdoing and asked a federal judge to dismiss Goldman's complaint.
Reuters
Wed Jun 21 2017
"Joy" and "Sadness", characters of the animation film "Inside Out", pose at its premiere at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California, U.S. on June 8, 2015. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
Qatar masih komited sebagai perantara dalam rundingan gencatan senjata di Gaza
Qatar masih komited untuk menjadi orang tengah antara Hamas dan Israel untuk mencapai satu gencatan senjata di Semenanjung Gaza.
Negara berdukacita, nahas udara TLDM Lumut terburuk libatkan helikopter
TLDM mengesahkan 10 anggotanya terkorban melibatkan tujuh kru Helikopter Operasi Maritim (HOM-AW139) dan tiga kru Fennec TLDM.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: 'Amirulfaris orang yang baik, orang baik selalu pergi dulu'
Mohamad Amirulfaris sangat menjaga kebajikan ibu bapanya dan seorang yang sangat peramah dengan saudara-mara.
200 hari menyerang Gaza, Israel rancang serang Rafah yang bakal memburukkan keadaan
Sejak Oktober tahun lepas, tentera Israel telah membunuh 34,183 warga Palestin dan mencederakan lebih 77,000 yang lain.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Bapa reda pemergian anak 'tulang belakang' keluarga
Bapa kepada Pegawai Memerintah Skuadron 502 Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Komander Mohamad Amir Mohamad, 44, menganggap pemergian anaknya itu yang merupakan tulang belakang keluarga, sebagai sat
HDC anjur Forum Kepimpinan Ekonomi Halal 2024 di Riyadh bulan ini
HDC akan menganjurkan HELF untuk meluaskan jejak globalnya, yang dibangunkan melalui pencapaian cemerlang Litar Persidangan Perniagaan Halal Dunia di London tahun lepas.
Galak kanak-kanak baca buku kepelbagaian kaum, agama untuk faham, rai perbezaan - Fahmi
Kanak-kanak perlu didedahkan dengan budaya membaca terutama buku mengenai kepelbagaian kaum dan agama di negara ini sebagai usaha melahirkan generasi berpengetahuan.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Ahli keluarga menggigil terima berita kematian Sivasutan
Sivanesan berkata hatinya luluh apabila mengetahui Sivasutan pula disahkan sebagai seorang daripada mangsa yang maut dalam nahas itu.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Adik mahu kakak dikebumi di Sarawak
Pelajar tingkatan empat itu berkata kali terakhir dia bertemu dengan kakaknya pada sambutan Hari Gawai tahun lepas.
Jualan kenderaan baharu Malaysia susut 10 peratus - MAA
Jualan kenderaan baharu Malaysia pada Mac 2024 susut 10 peratus kepada 71,052 unit, berbanding 78,881 yang didaftarkan pada bulan yang sama tahun lepas, kata Persatuan Automotif Malaysia (MAA).