Disney is now faced with a serious lawsuit over Keanu Reeves' 'Duke Caboom' character in Toy Story 4. The son of famous stuntman Evel Knievel recently filed suit against Disney and Pixar for allegedly basing Duke Caboom's character on his father's signature moves. He now claimed companies did not seek their permission with the character.
Which character is 'Duke Caboom' base on?
Keanu Reeves attends the world premiere of Disney and Pixar's TOY STORY 4 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.
One of the surprising characters in the latest Toy Story installment is the swag and cool stuntman named 'Duke Caboom.'
Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves voiced this character, Duke Caboom, described as a "1970s toy based on Canada's greatest stuntman. Riding his powerful Caboom stunt-cycle, Duke is always prepared to show off his stunt poses with confidence and swagger."
Surprisingly, after a year since its release, a recent lawsuit was filed against Disney and Pixar for the said character.
BBC reported Kelly Knievel, son of the famed stuntman Evel Knievel, claims Disney and Pixar had financially gained with his father's character without seeking their family's approval.
He even adds that Disney forced its actors on the film not to highlight the similarities between Evel Knievel and Duke Caboom. For most Evel fans and movie watchers, they were already obvious.
"It is obvious Duke Caboom is a knock off of Evel Knievel," K&K said in response to Disney's reaction to the lawsuit. "I don't see a big long line of Disney executives ready to get on a motorcycle and jump 13 buses, nor do I remember any Canadian daredevils from the 70s.
"While we note that Disney uses their Mickey Mouse lawyers to aggressively protect Disney intellectual property, they did not seek permission to use Evel Knievel at any time."
An amount of more than $300,000 was filed within the charges, including false endorsement and unjust enrichment.
As of now, Disney nor Pixar have not yet clearly state their position on the claims. However, a spokesperson for Walt Disney Co said that they will defend vigorously against what it called the meritless claims.
Who is Evel Knievel?
Evel Knievel won a Pioneer Award at the 'ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards' at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, Ca. 4/7/01.
Evel Knievel was a popular stuntman and entertainer back in the 60s up to the late 80s. He was known with his motorcycle stunts, just like his attempt to do 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps.
"Evel Knievel did not thrill millions, break his bones and spill his blood just so Disney could make a bunch of money," his son said.
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Written by Jamie Pancho
