All stories by Gene Maddaus on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Redbox Claims Disney Suit Is a Bid to Block Digital Competition by Gene Maddaus

Redbox has fired back against Disney’s efforts to block it from selling download codes, alleging that Disney’s copyright lawsuit is simply an effort to thwart a competitor. Disne…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:12PM
Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Disney Set Decorator Says She Was Fired for Taking Family Leave by Gene Maddaus

A set decorator on the Shanghai Disney resort filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, alleging she was fired because she needed to take time off to care for her ailing father. The suit, filed by …

SOURCE: Variety at 03:53PM
Thursday, December 21, 2017

Disney Files Trademark Suit to Protect ‘Star Wars’ Card Game by Gene Maddaus

Disney filed a federal trademark lawsuit on Thursday in an effort to block a mobile app based on a “Star Wars” card game. At issue is “Sabacc,” the card game first re…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:50PM
Thursday, December 14, 2017

Disney-Fox Deal Casts Future of Fox Studio Lot Into Doubt by Gene Maddaus

The Fox lot in Century City has been a movie studio for more than 80 years, the place where classics like “Hello Dolly!” and “How Green Was My Valley” were filmed. Bu…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:03PM
Friday, December 8, 2017

Disney Music Executive Charged with Child Sex Abuse (EXCLUSIVE) by Gene Maddaus

Jon Heely, the director of music publishing at Disney, has been charged with three felony counts of child sexual abuse. Heely, 58, of Santa Clarita, is accused of sexually abusing two undera…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:41PM
Tuesday, November 21, 2017

John Lasseter Takes Leave of Absence From Disney/Pixar, Apologizes for Unwanted Hugs by Gene Maddaus

John Lasseter, the head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and one of the most powerful figures in the entertainment industry, acknowledged Tuesday that he had crossed the line with…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:33PM
Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Disney Takes Insurer AIG to Court Over ‘Pink Slime’ Defamation Settlement by Gene Maddaus

The Walt Disney Company is going to battle with its insurer, AIG, as it seeks coverage for a massive settlement in the “pink slime” defamation case. In a motion in federal court,…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:31PM
Monday, October 2, 2017

Ticketmaster Says Bot Army Bought 30,000 ‘Hamilton’ Tickets by Gene Maddaus

A ticket broker used an army of bots to buy up 30,000 tickets to “Hamilton,” along with hundreds of thousands of other orders, according to a federal suit filed by Ticketmaster o…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:55PM
Friday, August 25, 2017

Bill Nye Claims Disney Withheld $28 Million in ‘Science Guy’ Profits by Gene Maddaus

Bill Nye is accustomed to explaining complicated concepts to children, but even he has struggled with the byzantine mess that is studio accounting. According to a lawsuit filed Thursday in L…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:26PM
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Disney Channel Exec Says She Was Fired for Reporting Sexual Harassment by Gene Maddaus

A former Disney Channels Worldwide executive filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging she was subjected to a two-year campaign of retaliation, and was ultimately fired, after reporting her boss fo…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:11PM
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Child Development Expert Claims Disney Stole Idea for ‘Inside Out’ by Gene Maddaus

An expert in child development filed a federal lawsuit on Monday alleging that she pitched Disney and Pixar executives on a TV project that bears a striking resemblance to the 2015 film R…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:48PM
Friday, May 19, 2017

Jerry Bruckheimer Would Board Sixth ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ With Johnny Depp, Disney by Gene Maddaus

Disney kicked off the summer movie season on Thursday night with the premiere of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” the fifth installment in the venerable franchise. Hun…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:56PM
Thursday, March 23, 2017

Disney CEO Bob Iger Says He’s Definitely Leaving in 2019: ‘I’m Serious This Time’ by Gene Maddaus

Disney CEO Bob Iger insisted that he is stepping down in 2019 in remarks at a USC tech conference on Thursday. “Succession is a complicated thing, and I felt and the board felt, we cou…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:48PM
Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Disney Accused of Stealing ‘Zootopia’ From Screenwriter Gary Goldman by Gene Maddaus

A veteran screenwriter filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing Disney of stealing his idea for the hit animated film “Zootopia.” Gary Goldman alleges that Disney took character …

SOURCE: Variety at 02:49PM
Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Shanghai Disneyland’s Huge Early Numbers Vindicate a Big Gamble by Gene Maddaus

The case for building a Disney theme park in Shanghai is obvious on paper. With a population equivalent to the entire U.S. living within a three-hour drive, the opportunity was simply too bi…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Thursday, October 13, 2016

Disney Launches a New Class of Startups at In-House Accelerator by Gene Maddaus

The Walt Disney Company held a graduation ceremony for its in-house accelerator program on Thursday, giving nine companies the chance to pitch their plans to change the entertainment industr…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:02PM
Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Cinemark Drops $700,000 Claim Against Aurora Theater Shooting Victims, Ending Legal Battle by Gene Maddaus

Putting an end to a painful legal episode, Cinemark today dropped a claim of $700,000 in legal costs against victims of the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting. The victims sued the theater chai…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:50PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards