The Disney brand has an omnipresence matched by few other corporations. And now, in addition to its ubiquitous movies, TV shows and merch, you’ll also hear about all the lawsuits it’s entangled in. The legal drama is almost overshadowing tantalising details about a highly-anticipated franchise sequel.
If you’re looking to dodge any news related to the mouse brand, well, too bad. Here’s the latest scoop on two of Disney’s IPs.
“Avatar: Fire & Ash” Will Be Longer Than “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Yes, you read the subheading right. The upcoming instalment of the critically-acclaimed “Avatar” franchise will have a longer runtime than “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which has a runtime of three hours and 12 minutes.
Series director and screenwriter James Cameron confirmed this gargantuan runtime to Empire magazine and justified it by saying that they “had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie 2.” He then explained that, as a result, the move will be split into two parts. Furthermore, Cameron went on to add that “Movie 3 will actually be a little bit longer than movie 2.”
Many may not be so keen to spend such a long time watching a film, but others may argue that, due to the film’s exceptional track record, fans are likely to sit through the entire length of the movie. Furthermore, Cameron, as well as Amanda Silver, co-writer for the upcoming sequel, promise that every second of the movie is going to be amazing, with Cameron adding that “it’s really f*cking cool. You’re going to love it.”
Silver then told Empire that “The Way of Water” and “Fire and Ash” are going to be separate films because “the characters needed to breathe.” She added that “These movies are a lot more than just propulsive plot and gorgeous spectacle. I mean, these are real characters.”
If you think that this will be all for one of the highest-grossing franchises, you couldn’t be more wrong, as Cameron still has plans to direct a fourth and fifth installment. “Absolutely,” he said. “I mean, they’re going to have to stop me. I got plenty of energy and love doing what I’m doing. Why would I not? And they’re written, by the way. I just reread both of them about a month ago. They’re cracking stories. They’ve got to get made. Look, if I get hit by a bus and I’m in an iron lung, somebody else is going to do it.”
The upcoming film is slated for a 19th December 2025 release date, with the subsequent 4th and 5th sequels expected to land around 2029 and 2031, respectively.
Disney Wins “Moana” Copyright Infringement Case
To be frank, this outcome is no surprise. We’ve previously discussed this issue when it first made headlines back in January, which you can read about here. Now, after almost two months, the case has come to a close with Disney emerging as the victor.
After a two-week bout in federal court in Los Angeles, the eight-member jury unanimously sided with the corporate giant against Buck Woodall and his allegation that “Moana” was based on his work entitled “Bucky the Wave Warrior.”
Based in New Mexico, Woodall claimed that his work and the 2016 original “Moana” shared a number of similarities. According to him, both projects feature teenagers who disobey their parents’ orders in order to embark on a perilous journey and rescue a Polynesian island. He claimed that there were additional parallels, including the use of stars for navigation, a tattooed demigod, and storm survival at sea.
Additionally, Woodall claimed that in 2004, while working as an assistant at a live-action production company on the Disney lot, he presented the idea to his sister-in-law’s stepsister. Court documents state that the relative then asked Walt Disney Animation Studios if it would accept a submission and was told that it would not.
However, despite his reasoning, he did not allow the jury to have access to the script for cross-referencing; hence, they did not have to address the question of whether the two are indeed similar. Disney maintained that there was no proof that any of the filmmakers had access to Woodall’s work and that “Moana” was independently produced years later. And to counter Woodall’s claims, Disney’s lawyers noted that there were still numerous differences between the two works, such as the characters’ skin tone, place of origin, time period where the story is set, and so forth.
Disney’s lawyers refused to comment when leaving the courtroom, while Woodall’s lawyer said he was “disappointed” at the result and would consider his client’s options going forward. However, the fight isn’t over yet, as this session was about the 2016 original. There is a separate case for “Moana 2” that is currently pending, so this might not be the last time we hear of Woodall’s grudge match against Disney.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
