Gary Goldman (screenwriter)

Last updated

Gary Leon Goldman (born 17 September 1953) is an American screenwriter. His film credits include Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Total Recall (1990) and Navy SEALs (1990).

Contents

Career

Goldman's first big screen writing credit was for John Carpenter's fantasy martial arts film, Big Trouble in Little China, which he co-wrote with David Weinstein. Originally set in the old west, the script was later adapted by Carpenter's former classmate at USC film school, W. D. Richter, to take place in modern times. [1]

Goldman's next major writing job came in 1989 for the science fiction action film Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Originally written by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon, director Paul Verhoeven had problems with the third act and hired Goldman to help fix the screenplay. According to the director, the problem was that the last forty minutes of the film was one long action sequence and had abandoned the "mental theme." Working with Shusett, Goldman was able to reintroduce this mental theme by adding a plot twist where the audience discovers that Schwarzenegger's character, who is assumed to be a good guy, had his memory wiped and is actually a bad guy. [2]

Shortly after the success of Total Recall, Goldman and Shusett co-wrote a screen adaptation of Philip K. Dick's story, The Minority Report , to serve as a possible sequel to the film. [3] Although their screenplay was not used, the 2002 film, Minority Report , has a sequence set in a car factory, which was adapted from their early script. In the end, Goldman didn't receive a writing credit, but was listed as an executive producer of the film. [4]

By 2003, Goldman's career had slowed down, and manager Lenny Beckerman suggested that he adapt another Philip K. Dick story. Goldman had a good relationship with the Dick estate and was able to acquire the rights to his 1954 short story, The Golden Man . [5] The completed script was sold to Nicolas Cage's production company, Saturn Films, and eventually became the 2007 film, Next , directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Cage, along with Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel. [6] Unfortunately, the film was not a great critical or financial success. [7] [8]

Lawsuit

On March 21, 2017, Goldman filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Disney over the film Zootopia . According to the suit, Goldman pitched a concept to Disney for a live-action film titled Looney, centered around an animator's creation of a TV cartoon called Zootopia. Goldman twice pitched the concept, featuring the same title, in 2000 and 2009. Disney began pre-production on a film titled 'Zootopia' — a term never having previously appeared in Disney's creative work — in 2013. Disney's film centered on a theme that the lawsuit alleged to be similar to Goldman's initial pitch, depicting a society of animals who could "pursue their dreams no matter their species." [9] Goldman's suit alleged that the company had reproduced the name, themes, settings, and character tropes offered in his pitch. Goldman also filed graphics of concept artwork of characters claimed to have been appropriated by Disney's character portrayals, including Nick Wilde, Flash, Chief Bogo, and Judy Hopps (appearing in Goldman's pitch as a squirrel modeled after his wife, Judith).

U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald dismissed the infringement claims on November 8, 2017. As stated in the final review, "...Goldman's effort to make the plots of Looney and Zootopia seem similar were strained. All the purported similarities between the two works were themes, not plot points or sequences of events, that were too general to be protected by copyright law." [10] [11]

Goldman appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where it affirmed the lower court's dismissal, finding that "[the Walt Disney Company] may have copied the idea of a zoo-utopia but their expression of that idea bears almost no resemblance to Plaintiff’s expression". [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Batman & Robin</i> (film) 1997 film directed by Joel Schumacher

Batman & Robin is a 1997 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Robin by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. It is the fourth and final installment of Warner Bros.'s initial Batman film series, a sequel to Batman Forever and the only film in the series made without the involvement of Tim Burton in any capacity. Directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Akiva Goldsman, it stars George Clooney as Bruce Wayne / Batman, replacing Val Kilmer, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze, and Chris O'Donnell reprising his role as Dick Grayson / Robin, alongside Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Elle Macpherson. The film follows the eponymous characters as they attempt to prevent Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from taking over the world, while at the same time struggling to keep their partnership together.

<i>The Terminator</i> 1984 science fiction film

The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son will one day save mankind from extinction by Skynet, a hostile artificial intelligence in a post-apocalyptic future. Kyle Reese is a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. The screenplay is credited to Cameron and producer Gale Anne Hurd, while co-writer William Wisher Jr. received an "additional dialogue" credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Carpenter</span> American director, screenwriter, producer, and composer

John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he has worked in many film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He is generally recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave him the Golden Coach Award, lauding him as "a creative genius of raw, fantastic, and spectacular emotions".

<i>Total Recall</i> (1990 film) 1990 film directed by Paul Verhoeven

Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven, with a screenplay by Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, and Gary Goldman. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, and Michael Ironside. Based on the 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick, Total Recall tells the story of Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger), a construction worker who receives an implanted memory of a fantastical adventure on Mars. He subsequently finds his adventure occurring in reality as agents of a shadow organization try to prevent him from recovering memories of his past as a Martian secret agent aiming to stop the tyrannical regime of Martian dictator Vilos Cohaagen (Cox).

<i>Predator</i> (film) 1987 science fiction action film by John McTiernan

Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan and written by brothers Jim and John Thomas. It is the first installment in the Predator franchise. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the leader of an elite paramilitary rescue team on a mission to save hostages in guerrilla-held territory in a Guatemala Central American rainforest, who encounter the deadly Predator, a skilled, technologically advanced alien who stalks and hunts them down. Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Richard Chaves, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, and Shane Black are supporting co-stars.

<i>Space Jam</i> 1996 film directed by Joe Pytka

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. The film stars basketball player Michael Jordan as a fictional version of himself; the live-action cast also includes Wayne Knight and Theresa Randle, as well as cameos by Bill Murray and several NBA players, while Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Kath Soucie and Danny DeVito headline the voice cast. The film follows Jordan as he is brought out of retirement by the Looney Tunes characters to help them win a basketball match against invading aliens intent on enslaving them as amusement park attractions.

<i>Big Trouble in Little China</i> 1986 film directed by John Carpenter

Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 American fantasy action-comedy film directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The film tells the story of truck driver Jack Burton (Russell), who helps his friend Wang Chi (Dun) rescue Wang's green-eyed fiancée from bandits in San Francisco's Chinatown. They go into the mysterious underworld beneath Chinatown, where they face an ancient sorcerer named David Lo Pan (Hong), who requires a woman with green eyes to marry him in order to be released from a centuries-old curse.

<i>Dick Tracy</i> (1990 film) 1990 action crime film directed by Warren Beatty

Dick Tracy is a 1990 American action crime comedy film based on the 1930s comic strip character of the same name created by Chester Gould. Warren Beatty produced, directed, and starred in the film, whose supporting cast includes Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenne Headly, and Charlie Korsmo, with appearances by Dustin Hoffman, James Keane, Charles Durning, William Forsythe, Seymour Cassel, Mandy Patinkin, Catherine O’Hara, James Caan, and Dick Van Dyke. Dick Tracy depicts the detective's romantic relationships with Breathless Mahoney and Tess Trueheart as well as his conflicts with crime boss Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice and his henchmen. Tracy also begins fostering a young street urchin named Kid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan O'Bannon</span> American screenwriter, director & visual effects supervisor (1946–2009)

Daniel Thomas O'Bannon was an American film screenwriter, director and visual effects supervisor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Goldman</span> English screenwriter, author and producer

Jane Loretta Anne Goldman is an English screenwriter, author and producer. With Matthew Vaughn, she co-wrote the screenplays of Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and its sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), as well as X-Men: First Class (2011), Kick-Ass (2010) and Stardust (2007). Goldman also worked on the story of X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), the sequel to First Class, in partnership with Vaughn. Both met high critical praise for their partnership works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Moore</span> American film director

Rich Moore is an American film and television animation director, screenwriter and voice actor. He has directed the films Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and co-directed Zootopia (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) for Walt Disney Animation Studios. In addition, he has also worked on the animated television series The Simpsons, The Critic and Futurama. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner, a three-time Annie Award winner and an Academy Award winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Howard</span> American film director and animator

Byron P. Howard is an American animator, character designer, story artist, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known as the director of the Walt Disney Animation Studios films Bolt (2008), Tangled (2010), Zootopia (2016), and Encanto (2021). He is the first LGBT director to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature twice for his work on Zootopia and Encanto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Disney Resort</span> Theme resort by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Shanghai Disney Resort is a themed resort in Pudong, Shanghai, China. The resort opened to the public on June 16, 2016. It is the first Disneyland in mainland China. It is also the sixth Disney resort worldwide, after Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Disneyland</span> Theme park

Shanghai Disneyland is a theme park located in Chuansha New Town, Pudong, Shanghai, China, that is part of the Shanghai Disney Resort. The park is operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Shanghai Shendi Group, through a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Shendi. Construction began on April 8, 2011. The park opened on June 16, 2016. The park operated in its first half-year with a visitor attendance of 5.60 million guests.

<i>Zootopia</i> 2016 film by Byron Howard & Rich Moore

Zootopia is a 2016 American computer-animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, and the first installment in the Zootopia franchise, it was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, co-directed by Jared Bush, and produced by Clark Spencer, from a screenplay written by Bush and Phil Johnston, and a story by Howard, Moore, Bush, Johnston, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, and Jennifer Lee. The film stars the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, and Shakira. Taking place in the titular city where anthropomorphic mammals coexist, it tells a story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of predators.

<i>Moana</i> (2016 film) Computer-animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios

Moana is a 2016 American computer-animated musical fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 56th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall, and produced by Osnat Shurer, from a screenplay written by Jared Bush, and a story by Clements, Musker, Williams, Hall, Pamela Ribon, and the writing team of Aaron and Jordan Kandell.

Jared Bush is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing the Walt Disney Animation Studios film Zootopia (2016), writing the film Moana (2016) and writing, directing and winning an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for the film Encanto (2021) besides co-creating and executive producing the Disney XD animated series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero.

<i>Big Hero 6: The Series</i> American animated superhero television series

Big Hero 6: The Series is an American superhero animated television series that aired between November 20, 2017, and February 15, 2021. The series was produced by Disney Television Animation and was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, also known for co-creating Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Kim Possible. The show is based on Disney's 2014 film Big Hero 6, which itself is loosely based on the comic book series of the same name published by Marvel Comics. The series acts as a follow-up to the original film and uses traditional hand-drawn animation.

<i>Zootopia+</i> American TV series or program

Zootopia+ is an animated mini-series based on Zootopia by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the series was released on Disney+ on November 9, 2022.

Zootopia, also known as Zootropolis or Zoomania in various regions, is a Disney media franchise that originally started in 2016 with the release of the American animated feature film Zootopia, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The series takes place in the titular city where anthropomorphic mammals coexist, telling the story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a criminal conspiracy.

References

  1. ↑ Muir, John Kenneth (2 March 2005). The Films of John Carpenter. McFarland. ISBN   9780786422692.
  2. ↑ Duchovnay, Gerald (February 2012). Film Voices: Interviews from Post Script. SUNY Press. p. 186. ISBN   9780791484753 . Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  3. ↑ Ong, Germaine (10 May 2017). "MovieAxis". GameAxis Unwired. SPH Magazines (45): 77. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  4. ↑ Loder, Kurt (8 November 2011). The Good, the Bad and the Godawful: 21st-Century Movie Reviews. St. Martin's Press. ISBN   9781429938655 . Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  5. ↑ Chad, Gervich (26 November 2013). How to Manage Your Agent: A Writer's Guide to Hollywood Representation. CRC Press. p. 178. ISBN   9781136070945.
  6. ↑ Barsanti, Chris (22 September 2014). The Sci-Fi Movie Guide: The Universe of Film from Alien to Zardoz. Visible Ink Press. p. 264. ISBN   9781578595334 . Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  7. ↑ Next , retrieved 2017-10-12
  8. ↑ "Next (2007) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  9. ↑ News Service, City. "Judge Mulls Fate of Writer's Suit Alleging Disney Stole His Animated Film Idea". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved Oct 28, 2021.
  10. ↑ Atkins, Dorothy (November 8, 2017). "Disney Sheds Writer's Copyright Suit Over 'Zootopia'". Law360.com . Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Goldman is Gone - Official Court Minutes".
  12. ↑ "Hollywood Docket: Johnny Depp's Trial Delay; WGA Judge Swap; 'Zootopia' Win". The Hollywood Reporter . 7 May 2019.
  13. ↑ https://1.next.westlaw.com/Document/I93b44f40672111e98440d2eaaa3f7dec/View/FullText.html?navigationPath=Search%2Fv1%2Fresults%2Fnavigation%2Fi0ad62aef0000017cc57bfd6df1b0320a%3Fppcid%3D2b1d1fa419fc40d298fec6bc49e39a0b%26Nav%3DCASE%26fragmentIdentifier%3DI93b44f40672111e98440d2eaaa3f7dec%26parentRank%3D0%26startIndex%3D1%26contextData%3D%2528sc.Search%2529%26transitionType%3DSearchItem&listSource=Search&listPageSource=baf980e990be67501aac7b20ddc2269c&list=CASE&rank=3&sessionScopeId=86742d102ec2b13d402a2606cd016a5a9599079c6d89f93cfd3602d6bc110ff0&ppcid=2b1d1fa419fc40d298fec6bc49e39a0b&originationContext=Search%20Result&transitionType=SearchItem&contextData=%28sc.Search%29.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.