Report: Disney Sued Over Zootopia Premise

(RTTNews) - Gary Goldman, a veteran screenwriter and producer, has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Pictures claiming that the studio stole his idea for the Oscar-winning animated film "Zootopia."

Gary Goldman alleges that he had first pitched a project to Disney executives in 2000 and 2009 and was rejected. He claims that Disney copied his character designs, themes, lines of dialogue, and even the name "Zootopia" from that project.

Goldman is know for his screen writing for "Total Recall" and "Big Trouble in Little China." He also was executive producer of the 2002 Tom Cruise sci-fi film "Minority Report."

"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," a company spokesperson said in a statement, reported THR.

"Zootopia" earned over $341 million in theaters domestically and about $682 million in international markets, according to box office analyst Box Office Mojo.