Malaysian casino giant Genting Malaysia Berhad launches billion-dollar lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox
- Complaint by Genting Malaysia Berhad alleges that the entertainment giants failed to honour a 2013 deal for a theme park near Kuala Lumpur
The Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox were hit with a billion-dollar lawsuit in Los Angeles on Monday by a Malaysian casino operator alleging the studios had walked away from a project to build a theme park near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The complaint, filed in US federal court, alleges that Disney and Fox had failed to honour a 2013 deal with Genting Malaysia Berhad that calls for the licensing of intellectual property, including from Fox animated films like “Ice Age” and “Planet of the Apes,” for the theme park.
The suit alleges that Fox was seeking to terminate the contract and that Disney executives were also keen on distancing themselves from the project because the park would be near a casino and would harm the company’s “family-friendly” image.
Disney and Fox representatives did not immediately respond to questions for comment.
“The plan was for Fox World to be the new centrepiece of Resorts World Genting, GENM’s integrated resort complex in Genting Highlands, an idyllic mountain retreat 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) above sea level and an hour’s drive outside Kuala Lumpur that already attracts over 23 million visitors a year,” according to the lawsuit.
