Multiple reports suggest Evel Knievel’s company — K&K Promotions — is suing Disney over the “Toy Story 4” character Duke Caboom, saying the latter had a resemblance to Evel Knievel.
What’s going on:
TMZ reports that K&K Promotions owns the rights to Knievel’s likeness and brand. So the company has filed a lawsuit against Disney for not asking about using the character.
- The lawsuit alleges that Disney wanted to avoid using Evel’s name during interviews in order to keep his name out of the discussion.
- The lawsuit says Disney had a similar tactic with the character Forky. Instead of saying the character looked like a Spork (which is trademarked), the company described the character in a manner of ways.
- Disney has not issued a statement about the lawsuit.
A look at Duke Caboom
Here’s how Disney and Pixar Studios describe the character:
Duke Caboom is 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. However, Woody learns quickly that Duke has an Achilles heel: He has never been able to do the awesome stunts advertised in his own toy commercial. For years, Duke has been sitting in an antique store, constantly reliving the failures of his tragic past.