‘Ne Zha’ Filmmakers Sued for Alleged Plagiarism

A Beijing-based production company claims the animated blockbuster bears ‘striking similarities’ to its musical.

Promotional images from the film “Ne Zha” (left) and the stage play “Memory 5D+.” From Douban and @石璟箜篌 on Weibo

First came the praises; now come the accusations.

The producers of the summer blockbuster “Ne Zha” are facing a lawsuit from a Beijing-based production company that claims the record-breaking animated movie copied plotlines from its musical. China Film Huateng — the company behind the musical “Memory 5D+” — had alleged in September that the animated movie exhibited “striking similarities” to the musical’s storyline, character design, and production elements, among other things.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court accepted the case Monday. China Film Huateng is demanding 50 million yuan ($7.1 million) for “economic losses” as well as 1 million yuan in legal fees, according to the lawsuit.

A comparison between the stage play “Memory 5D+” (top) and the animated film “Ne Zha.” From @石璟箜篌 on Weibo

“Memory 5D+” brands itself as “a creative show of Chinese intangible culture heritage” that tells a creation story based on Chinese mythology, according to its website. The show was staged from April 2017 to July 2018 in Chinese cities and Pasadena, California.

“Ne Zha,” meanwhile, is about an impish god-child struggling with his identity while simultaneously protecting a community that cast him out because of his special powers. Continue to read the full article here.

 

– This article originally appeared on Sixth Tone.