In March, we told you about the lawsuit brought against Disney/Pixar by screenwriter Jake Mandeville-Anthony, who claims that Cars and Cars 2 and were based on characters and a story he had developed. Now, a few developments have surfaced regarding the lawsuit and Mandeville-Anthony’s claims.
Sources say that The Walt Disney Company and its co-defendants are represented by David R. Singer and Sanford “Sandy” F. Litvack, of the Hogan Lovells firm. In order to avoid a preliminary injunction to stop Cars 2 from being released, Disney has applied for an order to extend their “time to respond” to July 8, two weeks after the film opens in theaters.
Mandeville-Anthony’s representation, however, has filed a counterclaim with a motion to obtain a copy of the Cars 2 screenplay before the film is released in theaters, but Disney is objecting due to piracy and secrecy concerns. A hearing on this matter is scheduled for June 6.
As of this writing, Disney also plans to seek a dismissal of the entire lawsuit, calling Mandeville-Anthony’s claims “audacious,” among other arguments. We will continue to keep you updated on the status of this lawsuit as information develops.
