Case 2:18-cv-09866 Document 1 Filed 11/26/18 Page 1 of 29 Page ID #:1

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KASOWITZ BENSON TORRES LLP
JOHN V. BERLINSKI (SBN # 208537)
jberlinski@kasowitz.com
DANIEL A. SAUNDERS (SBN # 161051)
dsaunders@kasowitz.com
CANDACE FRAZIER (SBN # 282358)
cfrazier@kasowitz.com
2029 Century Park East, Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Telephone: (424) 288-7900
Facsimile: (424) 288-7901
Attorneys for Plaintiff
Genting Malaysia Berhad

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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WESTERN DIVISION

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GENTING MALAYSIA BERHAD, a
Malaysia corporation,

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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Case No. 2:18-cv-9866

Plaintiff,
COMPLAINT FOR:
v.
FOX ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC,
a Delaware corporation; TWENTIETH
CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION,
a Delaware corporation; TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY FOX, INC., a Delaware
corporation; FOXNEXT, LLC, a Delaware
corporation; and THE WALT DISNEY
COMPANY, a Delaware corporation,

1. BREACH OF CONTRACT;
2. BREACH OF THE IMPLIED
COVENANT OF GOOD FAITH
AND FAIR DEALING;
3. INDUCING BREACH OF
CONTRACT
4. INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE
WITH CONTRACT
5. DECLARATORY RELIEF

Defendants.
DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL

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Plaintiff Genting Malaysia Berhad (“GENM” or “Plaintiff”), for its complaint against

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Defendants Fox Entertainment Group, LLC (“FEG”), Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

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(“TCFFC”), Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21CF”), FoxNext, LLC (“FoxNext” and together

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with FEG, TCFFC, and 21CF, “Fox”), and The Walt Disney Company (“Disney” and together

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with Fox, “Defendants”), alleges, upon knowledge as to itself and otherwise upon information

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and belief, as follows:

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I.

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1.

INTRODUCTION

This is a case about seller’s remorse; first by Fox, and then by Disney, after the

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latter began the process of acquiring Fox in a deal now expected to close in the first half of 2019.

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In 2013, Fox was a well-established conglomerate with a history of success in the television and

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film businesses, but almost no experience in the theme park business. Competitors like Disney

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and Universal Pictures (“Universal”) were well known for their branded theme parks located

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around the world, such as Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Universal Studios Hollywood,

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and Universal Studios Japan. Fox, on the other hand, had never had a theme park of its own,

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having only dipped its toe into the business by licensing individual properties that it owned, such

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as The Simpsons and Avatar, for use in third-party-branded parks.

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2.

Determined to compete with the likes of Disney and Universal, FEG,1 in or around

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2013, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) with GENM—a publicly listed

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company and a member of the Genting Group of Companies, a conglomerate with 53 years of

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experience in developing, operating, and marketing casinos and integrated resorts throughout the

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world, including in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the

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Americas. The MOA permitted GENM to license select Fox IP for use in the construction of what

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was to become the world’s first Fox-branded theme park (“Fox World” or the “Park”).

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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP

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On information and belief, FEG was previously known as Fox Entertainment Group, Inc.,
including at the time the parties entered into the MOA, and/or is the successor in interest to that
entity. References to “FEG” herein thus include both legal forms of Fox Entertainment Group
(“LLC” and “Inc.”), as applicable. Additionally, on information and belief, FEG, TCFFC, and
FoxNext are so closely aligned with each other as to be indistinguishable for purposes of the
allegations herein. References to “FEG” shall thus hereinafter include TCFFC and FoxNext.
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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3.

Unlike Disney, which wholly owns its U.S.-based parks and has significant

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minority ownership stakes in its international parks, Fox never invested any of its own money in

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the Fox World project. Rather, GENM has always been the sole owner, financier, and risk-taker

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concerning the future success of the Park. In exchange for the right to use Fox IP in the Park,

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GENM agreed to pay FEG annual license fees and royalties on certain revenue streams such as

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retail and food & beverage. Notably, the MOA did not provide for FEG to share in GENM’s

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customer gate admissions. FEG did negotiate to receive various approval rights over the design of

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the Park, which rights were constrained by the MOA and by California’s implied covenant of

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good faith and fair dealing.

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4.

The plan was for Fox World to be the new centerpiece of Resorts World Genting,

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GENM’s integrated resort complex in Genting Highlands, an idyllic mountain retreat 6,000 feet

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above sea level and an hour’s drive outside of Kuala Lumpur that already attracts over 23 million

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visitors a year. Resorts World Genting has the only legal land-based casino in all of Malaysia,

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seven hotels, performance venues, shopping malls, gondola lifts, an indoor SnowWorld attraction,

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a bio park, a temple, a bowling alley, an arcade, and scores of restaurants, bars, and clubs, with an

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indoor Skytropolis theme park, virtual reality experience, and skating rink also opening soon.

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5.

Specifically, GENM promised FEG that Fox World would be a “first-class, world-

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class” theme park on par with the quality of Universal Studios Singapore (owned and financed by

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GENM’s sister company Genting Singapore). Though the MOA required GENM to spend only

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$130 million to fulfill that promise, GENM has incurred approximately $750 million of expenses

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to date. Until just last month, Fox World was in its final phases of fabrication and installation

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ahead of its “Soft Opening,” which was projected to occur in the first half of 2019.

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6.

Having made such a significant investment in Fox World, GENM has worked

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feverishly since 2013 to bring it to life as soon as possible and to recoup its investment. FEG,

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however, has fought GENM at nearly every turn, causing delay after delay. Examples include

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FEG’s early insistence that GENM replace one of its preferred vendors with FEG’s less qualified

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choice—a vendor whose inexperience and unethical business practices led to its termination from

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the project and months of delays; FEG’s untimely, repeated and continued unreasonable exercise
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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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of its approval rights under the parties’ agreement; FEG’s failure to provide industry standard

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style guides and digital assets for many of its licensed properties, including its very own 20th

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Century Fox logo; and FEG’s failure to provide the level of on-site support that is required under

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the parties’ Agreement and that is typically provided by the licensor of a branded theme park

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development of this size and scale.

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Why would FEG behave this way? Initially, because FEG wanted to use its

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leverage under the MOA to threaten termination and force a renegotiation of the economic terms

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of what it viewed as a below-market deal, largely due to its failure to negotiate for a share of gate

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sales. FEG’s leverage stems from its right in the MOA to terminate the Agreement and receive an

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accelerated payment should certain “Key Milestone” deadlines be missed. Though FEG is

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contractually required to extend the “Key Milestone” deadlines if it or a party other than GENM

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is at fault for the delays leading to these deadlines being missed, FEG has consistently refused to

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take responsibility for the delays it has caused through its abuse of its approval rights and other

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improper behavior. Instead, FEG has repeatedly shifted blame to GENM in order to threaten

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termination in bad faith and force GENM to agree to renegotiate the MOA to FEG’s benefit

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rather than risk losing its investment of hundreds of millions of dollars.

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For a time, this strategy of using its termination rights to threaten GENM’s

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investment in the Park and secure more favorable economic terms worked. Specifically, GENM

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twice agreed to extend the “Key Milestone” deadlines in the MOA, pushing the “Soft Opening”

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date to January 1, 2017 and again to June 30, 2018. Both times, these amendments were preceded

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by FEG baselessly asserting that GENM was at fault for delays and insisting that FEG had the

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right to terminate if it wanted, thus jeopardizing GENM’s entire investment in the Park. The

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consideration that FEG extracted with these threats included, among other things, GENM’s

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promise to make increased and accelerated license fee and minimum guarantee payments, and to

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allow FEG to share in new categories of royalties. Moreover, FEG no longer had to worry about

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GENM meeting any of the Key Milestone deadlines in order to get paid timely, because FEG had

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also leveraged its threats of termination into a promise that GENM would immediately begin

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paying FEG as though the Park were already open.
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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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9.

In 2018, additional delays caused by FEG and third-party vendors necessitated the

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negotiation of another extension to the Key Milestone dates. This time, notwithstanding its fault

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in creating the delays, FEG went back to the well and trumped up more false claims of breach and

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demanded a share of GENM’s gate royalties in return for extending the Key Milestone dates. But

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then, during the subsequent negotiations, FEG’s lead negotiator told GENM that he did not know

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if FEG’s offer to extend the Key Milestone dates in return for a percentage of gate royalties was

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still on the table, revealing that he was no longer in charge of the negotiation, and further stated

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that he no longer had a “seat at the table.” On information and belief, Fox’s soon-to-be owner

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Disney was now calling the shots, and its objective was no longer renegotiation of the MOA, but

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termination.

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10.

Unlike Fox, which was perfectly happy to have the Park situated a stone’s throw

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from the casinos of Resorts World Genting so long as it could continue to extract financial

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concessions from GENM, Disney wanted no association with a gaming company like GENM due

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to Disney’s “family-friendly” brand strategy, as evidenced by its well-documented history of

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lobbying against the opening of gaming facilities near its parks. Accordingly, FEG issued a

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“notice of default” purporting to start the process of terminating the parties’ Agreement. If the

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plan were successful, not only would this termination give Fox—and therefore Disney—a

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windfall in accelerated payments, it would also protect Disney’s existing parks from increased

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competition and “protect” its “family-friendly” brand.

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11.

But seller’s remorse—first by Fox and later by Disney—is not a valid ground for

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terminating an agreement. Because FEG has no valid grounds on which to terminate the MOA

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and has improperly conspired with Disney to sabotage the Fox World project, GENM brings this

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action to enforce its rights under the MOA, to hold Disney and 21CF responsible for their

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improper meddling in the MOA, and to recoup its $750 million-plus investment in the Park, as

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well as consequential and punitive damages which, in total, will amount to in excess of $1 billion.

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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP

II.
12.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

This action arises under the common law of the State of California. This Court has

subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332 because there is complete
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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diversity of citizenship and more than $75,000 is in controversy.
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This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants pursuant to California Code

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of Civil Procedure § 410.10 because each of the Defendants is domiciled in and/or is doing

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business in the State of California and in this District, and some or all of the agreements that are

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the subject of this dispute were made, entered into, performed, and breached within the State of

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California and in this District. Further, the MOA provides that it shall be deemed executed at Los

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Angeles, California, regardless of the actual place of execution, and that the parties consent to the

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exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of California.

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14.

Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(1) because the

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Defendants reside in this District (as that term is defined in 28 U.S.C. § 1391(c)) and/or pursuant

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to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(2) because a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to this

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action occurred in this District.

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15.

Venue is also proper under the parties’ agreements. The MOA provides that “all

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actions, proceedings or litigation arising from this Agreement shall be instituted solely within the

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State of California,” that “[a]ny claims, disagreements or other matters in question arising out of

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or relating to this Agreement (each, a ‘Claim’) shall be submitted to a general, non-jury reference

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(the ‘Referee’) to hear and decide all matters relating to the Claim pursuant to California Code of

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Civil Procedure Sec. 638 (‘638 Reference’),” and that “the state or federal court where that action

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is filed shall be authorized to enforce” the 638 Reference proceeding. MOA, ¶¶ 14(h)-(i).

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III.
16.

PARTIES

Plaintiff GENM is, and at all relevant times was, a publicly listed company

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incorporated in Malaysia whose principal place of business is Malaysia. GENM is the sole owner

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and financier of the Park, which is currently being constructed in Genting Highlands, Malaysia.

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17.

Defendant FEG is, and at all relevant times was, a corporation organized and

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existing under the laws of the State of Delaware doing business throughout the United States,

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including at its principal place of business in the State of California, County of Los Angeles. On

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information and belief, FEG was known as Fox Entertainment Group, Inc., at the time the parties

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entered into the MOA and Amendment No. 1 to the MOA dated as of June 10, 2014
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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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(“Amendment No. 1”) and/or is the successor in interest to Fox Entertainment Group, Inc. FEG

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was signatory to Amendment No. 2 to the MOA dated as of June 9, 2017 (“Amendment No. 2”

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and together with the MOA and Amendment No. 1, the “Agreement”). On information and belief,

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Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising, the named Fox signatory to the Agreement,

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is not a legal entity distinct from FEG, and FEG is liable for all acts and omissions made by or on

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behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising. FEG entered into the Agreement as

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the “Administrator” for defendant TCFFC and therefore entered into it on behalf of TCFFC.

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18.

Defendant TCFFC is, and at all relevant times was, a corporation organized and

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existing under the laws of the State of Delaware doing business throughout the United States,

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including at its principal place of business in the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

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TCFFC is, on information and belief, the owner of the intellectual property licensed to GENM

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under the Agreement. TCFFC is also, on information and belief, a wholly-owned subsidiary of

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FEG.

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19.

Defendant FoxNext is, and at all relevant times was, a corporation organized and

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existing under the laws of the State of Delaware doing business throughout the United States,

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including at its principal place of business in the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

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FoxNext is, on information and belief, the Fox division currently overseeing Fox World. On

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information and belief, FEG and/or TCFFC’s rights and obligations under the Agreement may at

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some point have been assigned to FoxNext.

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20.

Defendant 21CF is, and at all relevant times was, a corporation organized and

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existing under the laws of the State of Delaware doing business throughout the United States,

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including at its offices in the State of California, County of Los Angeles. 21CF is, on information

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and belief, the direct or indirect parent company of FoxNext and FEG.

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21.

Defendant Disney is, and at all relevant times was, a corporation organized and

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existing under the laws of the State of Delaware doing business throughout the United States,

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including at its principal place of business in the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP

22.

Plaintiff is further informed and believes and based thereon alleges that

Defendants at all times herein alleged were the agents, employees, servants, joint venturers,
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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and/or co-conspirators of each of the other remaining Defendants, and that in doing the things

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herein alleged were acting in the course and scope of such agency, employment, joint venture,

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and/or conspiracy.

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IV.
A.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The parties’ key rights and obligations under the MOA.
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The MOA is dated as of June 1, 2013, and was entered into between GENM and

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FEG (acting on behalf of TCFFC). It provided that, in exchange for the license of certain Fox

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intellectual property for use in the development of Fox World and the right to brand the Park

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“Fox World,” GENM would pay FEG: (1) an annual “Development Fee” for three years prior to

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the Park’s opening; (2) an annual “License Fee” once the Park opened; and (3) royalties on

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merchandise sales, photo sales, and food and beverage sales, with a recoupable Guarantee

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Amount to be paid each year upon the opening of the Park. The MOA provided for a 10-year

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initial term, which was later amended to 12 years, and for GENM to have the option to renew the

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Agreement for two “Renewal Terms” of 10 years each. MOA ¶ 2(f).

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24.

Under the MOA, GENM retained “full and exclusive control regarding the design,

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architecture, size, configuration, site plan, guest capacity, maintenance and limitations, means of

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presentation (including, without limitation, the technologies and ride systems utilized),

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construction, operation and management of the [Park] . . . and all aspects thereof including,

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without limitation . . . all other park features which incorporate Fox property.” MOA, ¶ 3(f).

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However, FEG had the right to approve the third-party vendors engaged by GENM in connection

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with the Park’s design and construction, the preliminary, schematic, and detailed designs for the

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Park, the production of Fox-themed elements for the Park, the installation of those Fox-themed

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elements at the Park, and the development of Park merchandise. Id., ¶¶ 3(b)(i)(A)-(E), 5(a). The

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MOA required FEG to “use reasonable commercial efforts to approve, disapprove or otherwise

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comment upon any major concepts or plans for the [Park] . . . within twenty (20) Business Days,”

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with FEG required to “endeavor to respond either negatively or positively” to all other approval

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requests under the MOA “within ten (10) Business Days.” Id., ¶¶ 3(b)(v), 3(g).

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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP

25.

The MOA also required FEG to assist GENM in obtaining approvals by providing
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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“[u]pon request and to the extent available . . . style guide artwork on which GENM shall base its

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schematic design and design development of the [Park].” MOA, ¶ 3(b)(ii). In addition, FEG was

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required to “use reasonable efforts to assist GENM in obtaining such clearances, permissions or

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approvals from such persons as would be sufficient to permit GENM’s use of film clips, musical

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compositions and/or sound recordings. . . , including using reasonable efforts to facilitate

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communications between GENM and such Third-Party Rightsholders.” Id., ¶ 4(c). To the extent

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GENM needed to obtain the permission of an actor in one of Fox’s films in order to use a clip of

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that actor in a montage, for example, FEG was required to use reasonable efforts to assist GENM

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in obtaining that permission.

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26.

The original MOA also set forth certain “Key Milestones” and related deadlines

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(later amended) for GENM to meet, including: (1) a November 1, 2013 deadline to “submit to

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[FEG] for approval the initial designs and concepts for the design of the [Park]”: (2) a January 1,

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2014 deadline to “submit detailed designs of the [Park] for final approval by [FEG]”; (3) a March

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1, 2014 deadline to begin construction of the Park; and (4) a May 31, 2016 deadline for the “Soft

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Opening” of the Park (also defined as the “Opening Date”), with “official opening” to occur no

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later than June 1, 2017. MOA, ¶ 3(a)(i). However, the MOA also provided that these deadlines

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must be adjusted “to the extent of any delay . . . directly caused by repeated unreasonable delays

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by [FEG] in exercising its approval rights pursuant to this Agreement.” Id., ¶ 3(a)(ii). Though

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FEG has approval rights over any such extension greater than six months, that approval cannot be

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“unreasonably withheld.” Id. Likewise, if FEG’s failure to timely exercise its approval rights

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“causes a significant delay in the development of the [Park], then [FEG] and GENM shall

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mutually and in good faith discuss and agree to any adjustments in the Term, the License Fee

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payment schedule and/or the Opening Date that may be necessary due to such delay.” Id., ¶ 3(g).

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In addition, the MOA provided certain quality standards for GENM to meet in the

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construction and operation of the Park, including that: (1) “GENM shall spend on the initial

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capital expenditure to build out the [Park] such sums as may be necessary to create a first-class,

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world-class level themed area in accordance with the highest standards . . . it generally applies to

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its own properties used in other Theme Parks operated by GENM or GENM Affiliates (e.g.,
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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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Universal Studios Singapore). Such capital expenditure shall in no event be less than

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US$130,000,000”; and (2) GENM shall “design, construct, operate and maintain . . . the

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[Park] . . . in accordance with the highest standards (including without limitation health and

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safety standards) it generally applied to its own properties used in other Theme Parks operated by

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GENM or GENM Affiliates (e.g., Universal Studios Singapore).” MOA, ¶¶ 3(c)-(d).

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28.

The MOA also set forth the parties’ respective rights to terminate the agreement.

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Though GENM was permitted to terminate the MOA for any reason with payment of a

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termination fee, FEG was only permitted to terminate the MOA for cause and specifically upon

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the circumstances enumerated in the MOA, including, in relevant part:
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If “GENM breaches any of its representations and warranties or defaults with regard to

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the performance of any of its obligations provided for in this Agreement in any

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material respect,” MOA, ¶ 11(a)(i)); and
•

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With respect to any termination for missing Key Milestone deadlines, “[i]f any of the

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[Key Milestones] are not met due to any delay, action or omission on the part of

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GENM, and/or the Soft Opening of the Fox Branded Theme Park fails to occur prior

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to the Opening Date.” Id., ¶ 3(a)(ii) (emphasis added).

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29.

Prior to termination, if warranted, the MOA provided that FEG must give GENM

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written notice of default and the opportunity to cure within 30 days. MOA ¶ 11(b).

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B.

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The parties’ rights and obligations under Amendment No. 1 to the MOA.
30.

Due in large part to FEG’s unreasonable exercise of its approval rights over the

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design for the Park and FEG’s failure to include any art directors or technical support employees

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on its team, GENM had to request extensions to the Key Milestone deadlines less than a year

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after the parties entered into the MOA. Notwithstanding that it was to blame for the delays, FEG

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would not agree to these extensions without first extracting concessions out of GENM.

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31.

The parties’ agreement on these and other amended terms was memorialized in

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Amendment No. 1 to the MOA dated as of June 10, 2014. In exchange for extending the

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deadlines for submission of the initial designs to August 1, 2014, for submission of detailed

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designs to January 1, 2015, for construction to begin to February 1, 2015, and for Soft Opening to
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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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January 1, 2017, GENM agreed, among other things, to increase the annual Development and

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License Fees due under the MOA. Amendment No. 1, ¶¶ 2(c)-(d).

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C.

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The delays leading to Amendment No. 2.
32.

After the parties entered into Amendment No. 1, it became clear that FEG was

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intent on micromanaging every aspect of the Park’s design—far exceeding the scope of its

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approval rights under the MOA—and that FEG had no intention of providing adequate style

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guides, on-site support, and other assistance typical for IP licensors in connection with branded

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theme parks to facilitate timely approvals. For example, FEG caused months of delays by

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rejecting numerous requests for approval (“RFAs”) during the first two stages of the design

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process—the initial design stage, which includes the Park’s Master Plan, and the schematic

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design (“SD”) stage—because they lacked the level of detail that is typically only required at the

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third and final design development (“DD”) stage or because FEG had comments on technical

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aspects of Park construction and maintenance that were outside its purview under the MOA.

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There was no legitimate reason for FEG to have required design details for such features as a food

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kiosk, floor finishes, and lighting levels, among others, to be included in the Master Plan, given

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that this initial design merely set forth the location of those venues in the Park in relation to all the

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other attractions. Nor was there any legitimate reason for FEG to reject submissions based on its

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questions about such things as drainage systems and kitchen equipment access, among others.

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33.

These issues arose during a period of particular upheaval within Fox’s fledgling

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theme park group. There was significant executive turnover from the department head on down to

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the creative director and design and construction manager, causing major disruption to the

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approval process. Indeed, a pattern emerged wherein new FEG executives would attempt to

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renege on approvals given by past FEG executives, causing delays. FEG’s flip-flopping even

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manifested in its attempts to replace or remove certain IPs from the Park after GENM had

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invested in the design of attractions based on those IPs. For example, FEG originally wanted

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GENM to feature Percy Jackson rather than Independence Day in an attraction. As a result,

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GENM engaged a vendor to complete media content and interior design for a Percy Jackson

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attraction at significant cost. Yet in January 2016, FEG changed its mind and asked that Percy
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K ASOWITZ B ENSON
T ORRES LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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Jackson be removed from Fox World and replaced with Independence Day after all. In good faith,

2

GENM accommodated this request, though it meant having to start from scratch to design a

3

completely different attraction for Independence Day. FEG acted similarly in connection with

4

asking GENM not to use any IP from the television series Sons of Anarchy in the Park, even after

5

GENM had already started developing a marquee attraction based on that series, and had agreed

6

to pay additional license fees in order to obtain the rights to that Fox IP.

7

34.

Fox’s demands placed enormous burdens on GENM and its vendors to rush

8

detailed designs in order to get initial approval of general design concepts and spend an inordinate

9

amount of time attempting to recreate Fox’s own IP in the absence of style guides, decipher

10

FEG’s vague comments, and change existing plans at the whim of FEG executives. For example,

11

though GENM had engaged an experienced vendor to handle design work for the Park, all the

12

unanticipated additional labor required by FEG to obtain approvals quickly burned through the

13

fees GENM contracted to pay that vendor, forcing GENM to engage other vendors to handle

14

those attractions at additional cost and delay.

15

35.

Taking advantage of this, FEG abused its discretion to approve the “key design

16

and production firms” used by GENM to endorse a firm that employed individuals who were

17

already providing consulting services to Fox (either in their individual capacities or as firm

18

representatives) to replace an existing vendor in designing an attraction based on Planet of the

19

Apes (“POTA”). Based on FEG’s strong recommendations, GENM entered into an agreement

20

with this new firm in December 2014 to help design the POTA attraction. Not only did the FEG-

21

recommended firm’s relative inexperience soon become apparent, but in May 2015, GENM

22

learned that the firm was secretly attempting to partner with third-party vendors and have them

23

submit bids in their own names, while agreeing with them that it would perform the work in a

24

“subcontractor” capacity. Ultimately, GENM was forced to terminate its relationship with this

25

FEG-recommended firm, losing many months of work in connection with one of the centerpiece

26

attractions in the Park and incurring additional costs as a result. This is just one of the many

27

examples of how FEG’s improper handling of the approval process caused significant delays and

28

added expense to the Fox World project in the years leading up to Amendment No. 2.
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36.

FEG also routinely made vague observations (e.g., that a character is “too

2

chubby,” rather than providing more precise direction, or that a shade of yellow was “too

3

saturated,” rather than providing the desired color code), and did not provide GENM sufficient

4

guidance to address those comments, leaving GENM guessing as to what changes were required

5

to gain FEG’s approval—a problem further exacerbated by FEG’s failure to provide industry

6

standard style guides for its IP and on-site representatives who could respond to questions

7

efficiently. GENM repeatedly communicated to FEG its concerns about these shortcomings, but

8

the problems were never remedied and they persisted.

9

37.

FEG further caused unreasonable and repeated delays by failing to timely consult

10

with third-party producers and talent from whom it had contractual obligations to seek approvals

11

concerning the use of particular Fox IPs in the Park. FEG should have consulted those individuals

12

at an early stage so that any requests arising out of those consultations could have been

13

incorporated into the design before GENM spent time and money having sculpts built or media

14

produced. Yet FEG frequently fell short of basic industry standards in this regard. For example,

15

after the ride vehicle for an attraction based on the film Night at the Museum had already been

16

approved, FEG informed GENM that producers of the film asked that the vehicle be changed

17

from a security vehicle to a shipping crate. It was, however, far too late for this idea to be adopted

18

without incurring significant additional delays and expense. This event was not isolated and a

19

similar set of circumstances played out on the long-delayed Titanic attraction.

20

D.

21

The parties’ key rights and obligations under Amendment No. 2 to the MOA.
38.

Notwithstanding the delays caused by FEG’s misconduct, FEG refused to extend

22

the Key Milestone deadlines unless GENM agreed to compensate FEG as if the Park were already

23

open, and GENM also agreed to pay entirely new categories of royalties on top of those provided

24

for in the original MOA. Having already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the Park and

25

hoping to reestablish goodwill, GENM acquiesced to FEG’s demands.

26

39.

In Amendment No. 2, dated as of June 9, 2017, the parties agreed, among other

27

things, that in exchange for FEG’s agreement to extend the deadlines for submission of detailed

28

designs to March 1, 2018, Soft Opening to June 30, 2018, and official opening to January 1, 2019,
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COMPLAINT

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1

GENM would: (1) pay FEG increased Guarantee Amounts until the Park opened—amounts

2

intended to approximate the royalties that FEG would have received if the Park had opened on

3

time; (2) pay royalties on skill games and rental fee revenues (revenue streams FEG was not

4

entitled to share in under the original MOA); and (3) start payments of the annual License Fee

5

shortly following signing of the amendment, rather than upon Soft Opening as originally

6

provided. Amendment No. 2, ¶¶ 2(d)-(e). The parties also agreed to redefine “Soft Opening.”

7

40.

In Amendment No. 2, the parties further agreed to increase the capital expenditure

8

required by GENM to build the Park to $600 million, far beyond the $130 million that FEG had

9

initially agreed would be a reasonable amount to build a “first-class, world-class” park, and that

10

FEG would “make commercially reasonable efforts to hire two (2) [FEG] employees . . . to serve

11

as [FEG’s] on-site personnel in the capacity of ‘General Manager of Design and Construction’

12

and ‘Project Manager’” at GENM’s expense. Id., ¶¶ 2(f), 2(i).

13
14
15

V.
A.

FEG’s BREACHES OF THE AGREEMENT AND DISNEY’S INTERFERENCE
The delays leading to the negotiation of proposed Amendment No. 3.
41.

After the execution of Amendment No. 2, FEG continued the same behavior that

16

led to the previous delays, including, but not limited to, its (1) unreasonable and untimely

17

rejections of GENM’s RFAs, vague comments to those RFAs, and backtracking on previous

18

approvals; (2) failures to make the efforts required under the Agreement to obtain necessary third-

19

party approvals to assist in the development of the Park; (3) failures to provide style guides and

20

other standard IP assets; and (4) failures to provide adequate on-site support. This conduct led to

21

the deadlines for completing submission of detailed designs and for Soft Opening to be missed.

22

i.

23

42.

Delays caused by FEG’s failure to timely exercise its approval rights.
The MOA gives FEG 10-20 business days to reply to each of GENM’s approval

24

requests, depending on the type of request. MOA, ¶¶ 3(b)(v), 3(g). Yet FEG has repeatedly failed

25

to timely respond to at least two dozen RFAs since the parties last extended the Key Milestone

26

dates in Amendment No. 2, including taking anywhere from one month to over six months to

27

respond to some of them, causing unreasonable delays that have led to certain Key Milestone

28

dates being missed in connection with such attractions as Independence Day – Defiance, Big
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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1
2

Weld’s Zeppelins, Night at the Museum, and Fox Plaza.
ii.

Delays caused by FEG’s continued unreasonable rejections of RFAs,

3

vague comments in response to RFAs, and backtracking on previous

4

approvals.

5

43.

Each time FEG rejects a RFA, a new review period is triggered, putting the

6

package over a month behind schedule. Given the additional time involved in having to revise,

7

resubmit, and re-review an entire design package, it has become the norm in the theme park

8

industry for IP licensors to approve submissions “with comments,” thereby allowing the licensee

9

to address those comments in the next phase rather than having to revise and resubmit the initial

10

design packages. FEG, however, has refused to consistently engage in this standard practice.

11

44.

Though in the past FEG did at times grant conditional approvals with comments

12

for minor packages, the vast majority of the time FEG adhered to a strict policy requiring 100%

13

approval of all packages before GENM could move to the next phase. SD and DD package

14

submissions that received only minor comments from FEG were thus completely rejected, and

15

GENM was forced to go through the process of re-designing based on such minor comments,

16

resubmitting entire packages, and waiting for Fox to approve them—a process which took four to

17

six weeks—instead of being allowed to move forward with the subsequent design package and

18

address FEG’s comments in that later submission.

19

45.

Moreover, FEG’s comments in response to several SD submissions concerned

20

details that are not typically addressed at that stage, leading to further unnecessary delays. For

21

example, FEG rejected the entire SD package for Scrat’s Nutty Adventure (based on IP from the

22

film Ice Age) due to the sole question of how the grill edge for the air conditioning unit would

23

blend with the rockwork of the attraction. This comment, if made at all, should have been made in

24

connection with a later DD submission. By forcing GENM to deal with this in the SD phase,

25

GENM had to divert resources from more pressing matters to revise and resubmit its SD package.

26

Similarly, a SD package for Robots Rivet Town was rejected with the comment “How are all the

27

speakers going to be integrated into the facades?”—the type of question not typically addressed

28

until the DD phase.

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46.

FEG also continued its practice of withholding approvals or otherwise causing

2

delays by demanding that GENM provide information or make changes to Park elements that

3

were unrelated to Fox’s IP and the customer experience, notwithstanding FEG’s promise that

4

GENM would retain “full and exclusive control” with respect to such matters as Park

5

construction, maintenance, and technology, and notwithstanding that these matters fall outside the

6

typical purview of a licensor like Fox. For example, FEG has caused delays by commenting on

7

minute details of construction work still in progress that have not formally been submitted for

8

approval, demanding immediate responses from GENM at the expense of prioritizing more

9

pressing work. Such conduct not only exceeded FEG’s authority under the MOA, but also was

10

inconsistent with industry custom and practice recognizing that a Park owner/builder like GENM

11

is better positioned than FEG to manage construction and safety matters.

12

47.

Likewise, FEG continued its practice of giving vague, inactionable comments that

13

left GENM guessing as to what changes would be sufficient to obtain approvals. For example,

14

one FEG art director critiqued a paint finish for the Fox Plaza Icon Fountain as being too

15

“dystopian,” asserted that “color will still need to get pushed to get the warm hue we’re going

16

for,” and provided reference images for buildings that did not even use the textures and materials

17

being requested. Another FEG art director rejected a SD package submission for Robots Rivet

18

Town because FEG wanted “more metallic in the character color palettes”—but never provided

19

color codes or other direction that would indicate how GENM could obtain approval.

20

48.

Moreover, even where FEG gave approvals at an earlier stage of the process, there

21

have been instances where FEG has changed its mind. For example, in connection with the Fox

22

Plaza Icon Fountain, FEG requested changes to aspects of the fountain that it had previously

23

approved, thus causing more delays. Similarly, though FEG had approved the installation of

24

various media features at the Night at the Museum attraction, when it came time for FEG to

25

approve the entire final attraction, it requested changes to several previously approved elements,

26

causing delay and tens of thousands of dollars in additional costs to GENM.

27
28
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iii.

2
3

Delays caused by FEG’s continued failure to make reasonable efforts to
assist GENM in obtaining third-party clearances.

49.

FEG has also caused delays, and breached the Agreement, through its failure to

4

make reasonable efforts to assist GENM in obtaining third-party clearances. See MOA, ¶ 4(c).

5

Though GENM repeatedly asked FEG for assistance in obtaining the necessary approvals to

6

permit clips from various Fox films to be displayed as part of a show in the Fox Plaza area of the

7

Park and the Century City Lake Spectacular that GENM submitted for approval and FEG

8

expressly approved, and though FEG was well aware that Soft Opening could not take place

9

without these attractions ready, FEG withheld basic documents and information requested by

10

third parties that would likely have enabled GENM to obtain the requisite clearances. For

11

example, Fox failed to provide the letter of endorsement or other confirmation of Fox’s approval

12

of and participation in Fox World requested by the Estate of Charlton Heston as a prerequisite to

13

his Estate’s approval of the use of clips featuring Mr. Heston from Planet of the Apes. Of the 177

14

film clips GENM planned to use in the Fox Plaza show and the Century City Lake Spectacular, it

15

was only able to obtain clearances for 52—through its own efforts—due to FEG’s refusal to

16

provide requested confirmation of Fox’s endorsement or otherwise adequately assist in the

17

process.

18

50.

Because the Fox Plaza show and the Century City Lake Spectacular could not

19

move forward as originally approved by FEG without the remaining clearances, GENM had no

20

choice but to ask its vendor to redesign them using only those clips GENM was able to clear. This

21

redesign cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and caused many months of delays—all

22

attributable to FEG’s failure to provide the level of support contemplated under the Agreement

23

and customary in the industry.

24

iv.

25
26

Delays caused by FEG’s continued failure to provide style guides and
other standard assets necessary to designing and building the Park.

51.

FEG’s failure to provide style guides has been a long-standing cause of delays and

27

is inconsistent with industry custom and practice with respect to the assistance typically provided

28

by IP holders to licensees like GENM. FEG failed to provide style guides for such significant
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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1

properties as Ice Age, not to mention guides for the countless elements that go into recreating the

2

characters and scenes from the various licensed properties. FEG even failed to provide an

3

industry standard style guide for its own 20th Century Fox logo for use in the design and build of

4

the Fox Plaza Icon Fountain, a key feature of the Park. Though GENM requested this guide over

5

two years ago, FEG has provided little more than inconsistent reference images that vary in color

6

and style, and even demanded that GENM jettison a previously approved design based on the 20th

7

Century Fox logo from 2009 to develop one based on the logo from the 1990s. And given that no

8

FEG executive could provide clear direction as to what exact colors, textures, finishes, or

9

materials for the Icon Fountain would meet with its approval, GENM was forced to engage in a

10

costly, time-wasting guessing game as to what would be satisfactory to FEG, causing many

11

months of delays that directly impacted the missed Key Milestone deadlines.

12

52.

Due to the lack of guidance from Fox concerning the representation of its own IP,

13

GENM’s vendors have had to recreate Fox’s IP from scratch, including for the characters

14

depicted in the Blue Sky Carousel ride based on characters from the films Ice Age and Rio. This

15

has wasted both time and money. In addition, with respect to Ice Age, not only was GENM forced

16

to produce its own color charts for dozens of characters, but it also had to find a workaround for

17

FEG’s failure to provide it with usable digital assets for those characters. It is market practice and

18

customary for IP holders to make available fully-rigged and textured 3D Maya models (standard

19

software used to create animated characters and environments), but in this case, FEG provided no

20

assets for approximately half a dozen of the Ice Age characters and just the shell for many

21

remaining characters (to which GENM would have to add digital skeletons, joints, and textures to

22

make them usable), despite being asked for over a year to provide those assets.

23

53.

To avoid the considerable delay and significant added expense of having to “rig”

24

these models, GENM submitted detailed artwork, including clay sculptures, for FEG’s review.

25

However, FEG’s art director caused months-long delays by refusing to review those submissions

26

and demanding instead that GENM itself develop the fully-rigged digital assets for approximately

27

36 characters. This process of trial and error has been expensive and time-consuming—pushing

28

back the completion date for the Ice Age zone by approximately a year—and is highly unusual in
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COMPLAINT

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1

the industry. FEG caused similar delays by failing to provide style guides and/or standard “fully-

2

rigged” digital assets for certain IP relating to the films Alien vs. Predator and Robots, among

3

other properties. Other licensors like Dreamworks and Universal have extensive style guides and

4

digital assets available to assist licensees and their vendors to efficiently create designs and obtain

5

approvals. FEG’s failure to provide these industry standard style guides and digital assets was a

6

significant contributor to the Key Milestone dates being missed.

7

54.

Even where FEG purported to provide style guides, it has caused additional and

8

unnecessary delays by changing its underlying IP after the designs created from those guides

9

were approved. For example, after GENM had waited more than two years for style guides and

10

other assets in connection with the Alien vs. Predator attraction, in June 2016 FEG finally

11

provided images that were essentially no more than preliminary sketches. GENM nevertheless

12

then spent considerable time and money designing the attraction based on those materials, yet

13

toward the end of 2017, FEG sought to modify the Predator model that GENM had long been

14

developing. Moreover, the updated 3D model provided by FEG was of low resolution and

15

missing key elements of FEG’s own desired modifications. Because of the poor quality of the

16

FEG-provided asset, GENM’s vendor had to update this model itself, triggering yet another round

17

of trial and error design submissions at additional cost and delay.

18

v.

Delays caused by FEG’s failure to provide adequate on-site support.

19

55.

Though Amendment No. 2 required FEG to “make commercially reasonable

20

efforts” to hire two on-site employees to facilitate approvals, FEG provided only one full-time on-

21

site employee. Instead of providing a second full-time on-site employee, FEG rotated in and out

22

on a part-time basis a parade of “art directors.” Though FEG repeatedly assured GENM that these

23

art directors were interchangeable, that was not the case, as they often had contradictory views of

24

how the approvals process should operate and how the approved designs should look. This forced

25

GENM to revise and resubmit packages simply because FEG chose to involve a new art director,

26

as was the case with the Fox Plaza Icon Fountain, among other attractions.

27
28
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56.

Moreover, there have been many instances in which the parties have found

themselves involved in protracted email debates over approvals concerning areas of the Park such
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1

as Fox Plaza, Scrat’s Nutty Adventure, and Alien Outpost Zone that could have been quickly

2

resolved if FEG had additional personnel with individual approval authority available on site.

3

Likewise, if FEG provided the level of support that is customary in the industry, there would have

4

been far less lag time between elements being ready for inspection, FEG’s availability to make

5

the necessary factory and site visits, and the time it takes to send samples from Malaysia to Los

6

Angeles for FEG’s review. FEG’s failure to provide GENM with the level of support required

7

under the Agreement and typically provided by the licensor of a branded theme park development

8

of this size and scale clearly contributed to the Key Milestone deadlines being missed.

9

B.

10

The unusual negotiation of proposed Amendment No. 3.
57.

In Spring 2018, once it had become clear that unreasonable and repeated delays

11

caused by FEG would prevent the detailed design, Soft Opening, and official opening deadlines

12

the parties had negotiated the previous year from being met, GENM initiated discussions with

13

FEG about a proposed Amendment No. 3 to extend those deadlines, as the Agreement expressly

14

requires in the event that FEG caused the delays. But again, FEG unreasonably tried to leverage

15

the situation to force a radical renegotiation of the Agreement by conditioning the requested

16

extensions on, among other things, GENM either: (1) paying a new gate royalty with millions in

17

minimum guarantees; or (2) removing the Fox name from the Park and licensing in third-party

18

intellectual property to form the basis of several new attractions at added cost to GENM.

19

58.

GENM was unwilling to so drastically alter the economics of the parties’

20

Agreement, but GENM did make a counterproposal to FEG in writing. Then something odd

21

happened. During the subsequent discussions, FEG’s lead negotiator—an FEG employee—told

22

GENM that he did not even know if his own company’s initial offer to extend the Key Milestone

23

dates in return for a share of gate revenues was still on the table, revealing that he no longer even

24

had a “seat at the table” with respect to the Fox World negotiation. Notably, this message was

25

communicated to GENM shortly after 21CF’s board approved the amended merger agreement

26

through which Disney increased its offer to successfully outbid Comcast for Fox assets and after

27

the Department of Justice gave conditional antitrust approval to the Fox-Disney deal.

28
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59.

Clear from the timing of these events was that Disney—regardless of whether it
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1

was legally permissible under applicable antitrust laws—was intervening in the GENM/FEG

2

negotiations and calling the shots for FEG. Having long adopted anti-gambling policies based on

3

its “family-friendly” brand image, Disney has a history of eliminating any ties to gambling held

4

by its acquired companies. For example, on information and belief, after acquiring LucasFilm and

5

Marvel Entertainment, Disney decided to phase out Star Wars and Marvel themed slot machines

6

in the United States. Disney has also used its financial muscle to fight the expansion of casinos in

7

Florida—the hub of Disney’s theme park empire. Disney has, on information and belief, spent

8

tens of millions of dollars in those efforts and at least $20 million dollars in the 2018 election

9

cycle alone to support the passage of the Florida ballot initiative Amendment 3, which reportedly

10

will make it more difficult for casinos—clear competition to Disney’s parks—to be approved by

11

the state. With Fox World located just outside the casinos in the Genting Highlands integrated

12

resort, it comes as no surprise that Disney would, on information and belief, try to kill the Fox

13

World deal in a transparent attempt to “protect” the Disney brand.

14

C.

15

FEG’s improper termination of the Agreement
60.

And attempting to kill Fox World is precisely what transpired, with Disney, on

16

information and belief, directing FEG not to further counter GENM’s counterproposal regarding

17

Amendment No. 3, but instead to issue a “notice of default” starting the process of terminating

18

the Agreement.

19

61.

The timing of this notice of default is highly suspect and entirely consistent with

20

Disney wanting to kill the deal for its own benefit. Though FEG knew over half a year earlier that

21

the remaining Key Milestone deadlines would be missed (and certainly knew its own hand in

22

causing those delays), it waited to issue its notice of default until GENM had spent at least $50

23

million more on Fox World construction, with many of its marquee attractions already nearing

24

completion. Indeed, in the same month that FEG issued the notice of default, the attractions

25

Independence Day – Defiance and Night at the Museum – Midnight Mayhem received ride

26

approval from a third-party ride compliance organization, and other attractions were planned to

27

be commissioned in the next 60 days, including Aliens Terrorforma, Epic Hummingbird Flyer,

28

Earth Space Defender, Scrat’s Nutty Adventure, Rivet Town Roller, Big Weld’s Zeppelin, Blue
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Sky Gliders, Marine Boot Camp, Colonial Fighter Pilot, Sid’s Rock & Slide, and Rio Carnival

2

Chaos. But Defendants knew that the only way for GENM to cure its alleged default would be to

3

open Fox World within 30 days—still an impossible task given the delays that FEG itself had

4

caused and the months of stress testing and other safety checks required before Soft Opening.

5

62.

Moreover, FEG waited to issue its notice of default until Fox’s acquisition by

6

Disney had not only been approved by their boards, but was so far along in the process that

7

decisions were already being made about the key executives who would be staying or going. With

8

many of the key FEG executives involved in negotiating the MOA no longer with the company

9

for other reasons, there were already few people left to defend the decision to pursue the Fox

10

World project. Disney’s theme park group is far larger than Fox’s with far more clout—there is

11

little doubt which group’s executives will be in charge after the merger and what their view of

12

Fox World would be given their desire to protect Disney’s theme parks from competition in the

13

increasingly competitive Asian market and to protect Disney’s “family-friendly” image from any

14

association with GENM’s gaming operations.

15

63.

Not only was FEG’s notice of default issued in bad faith, it was rife with vague

16

and false allegations that GENM breached the quality standards2 of the Agreement in addition to

17

the Key Milestone provisions. Though GENM informed FEG that it had improperly failed to

18

identify the specific basis for its claims for breach of the quality standards in the notice of

19

default—thereby making it impossible for GENM to cure those issues if they even existed—FEG

20

never provided any additional information about those claims, even after GENM requested it.

21

Likewise, FEG’s notice provided no details as to the specific basis for its contention that GENM

22

and not FEG is at fault for the delays that caused the Key Milestone deadlines to be missed. Clear

23

from FEG’s refusal to provide the requested information supporting its allegations is that it had

24

none, and that Defendants were focused only on terminating the Agreement.

25
26
27
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64.

The trumped-up grounds that FEG invented to terminate the Agreement were

purely pretextual and, on information and belief, this improper decision to terminate was
2

GENM’s engagement, at its own expense, of a third party to provide multiple levels of safety
review further belies FEG’s claims in this regard.
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ultimately made by Disney. Given that FEG had no right to terminate the Agreement, Fox and

2

Disney are liable for what will exceed a billion dollars in damages attributable to the bad-faith

3

behavior of both Fox and Disney.

4

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION

5

Breach of Contract

6

(By Plaintiff Against Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext)

7
8

65.

paragraph 1 through 64 of this Complaint, inclusive, as though fully set forth herein.

9
10

Plaintiff incorporates by reference and realleges each and every allegation in

66.

Plaintiff has performed all conditions, covenants, and promises required to be

performed by it in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.

11

67.

All conditions required for Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext’s performance

12

of the conditions, covenants, and promises required to be performed by them in accordance with

13

the terms of the Agreement have occurred.

14

68.

As detailed above, these Defendants have breached the Agreement by, among

15

other things, refusing to extend Key Milestone deadlines in connection with the delays caused by

16

those Defendants and improperly issuing a purported Notice of Default and terminating the

17

Agreement.

18

69.

As a direct and proximate result of these Defendants’ breaches of the Agreement,

19

Plaintiff has suffered, and will continue to suffer, monetary damages in an amount to be proven at

20

trial.

21

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION

22

Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing

23

(By Plaintiff Against Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext)

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70.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference and realleges each and every allegation in

paragraph 1 through 64 of this Complaint, inclusive, as though fully set forth herein.
71.

Plaintiff has performed all conditions, covenants, and promises required to be

performed by it in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.
72.

All conditions required for Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext’s performance
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COMPLAINT

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of the conditions, covenants, and promises required to be performed by them in accordance with

2

the terms of the Agreement have occurred.

3

73.

As detailed above, these Defendants breached the implied covenant of good faith

4

and fair dealing by unfairly interfering with Plaintiff’s right to receive the benefits of the

5

Agreement, by, among other things, failing to provide GENM with the level of support and

6

information typically provided by the licensor of a branded theme park of Fox World’s size and

7

scale and abusing their discretion in the approvals process by, among other acts, unreasonably

8

rejecting submissions and failing to comply with industry norms when responding to

9

submissions.

10

74.

As a direct and proximate result of these Defendants’ breaches of the implied

11

covenant of good faith and fair dealing, Plaintiff has suffered monetary damages in an amount to

12

be proven at trial.

13

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

14

Inducing Breach of Contract

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(By Plaintiff Against Disney and 21CF)

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19
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21
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75.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference and realleges each and every allegation in

paragraph 1 through 64 of this Complaint, inclusive, as though fully set forth herein.
76.

Plaintiff and one or more of FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext were parties to the

Agreement, which is a valid and binding contract.
77.

At all relevant times, Defendants Disney and 21CF were aware of the Agreement

and its terms.
78.

As set forth above, one or more of FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext breached the

23

Agreement, including its implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, in various ways.

24

Defendants Disney and 21CF intended to influence, direct, or cause Defendants FEG, TCFFC,

25

and/or FoxNext to commit the above-described breaches because Defendants Disney and 21CF

26

knew they would benefit from such breaches. Among other benefits, Defendant Disney benefited

27

from FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext’s improper termination of the Agreement by suppressing

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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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friendly” image from association with GENM’s gaming businesses. 21CF, including in particular

2

its CEO James Murdoch, disapproved of the business fundamentals of Fox World, with Mr.

3

Murdoch commenting to others within Fox that he preferred to invest in and operate Fox-owned

4

parks rather than license Fox IP to third-party theme park owners. Moreover, allowing an entity

5

such as GENM, over which 21CF would have no control, to own and operate a theme park called

6

“Fox World” would have been inconsistent with 21CF’s business plans to rebrand the company

7

using the name “FOX” after the merger. In connection with that merger, Disney and 21CF issued

8

a Joint Proxy Statement to stockholders in June 2018, disclosing that when the companies

9

merged, the Fox name and related trademarks would be transferred to a new entity referred to as

10

“New Fox,” which would not be under Disney’s control and which would have no theme park

11

division. Accordingly, post-merger it will be “New Fox”—which, on information and belief, will

12

be called “FOX” effective in 2019—rather than Disney that will have the authority to license the

13

rights for a park such as Fox World. Continued performance by Disney/FEG under the

14

Agreement with GENM, and the use of the “Fox World” branding by GENM thus appear to have

15

been inconsistent with the terms of the merger between Disney and 21CF. Regardless, permitting

16

the “Fox” brand to attach to a theme park over which FOX would have no control for what could

17

amount to decades would have created business complications that Disney and 21CF preferred to

18

avoid. Thus, on information and belief, Disney and 21CF, with knowledge of the Agreement,

19

improperly directed FEG to terminate the Agreement.

20

79.

Through the conduct described above, Defendants Disney and 21CF caused

21

Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext to breach the Agreement as set forth above. But for the

22

influence or direction of Defendants Disney and 21CF, the other Defendants would have had no

23

incentive, basis, and/or ability to collude with Defendants Disney and 21CF; rather, absent such

24

collusion, the primary goal of Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext would have been to

25

maximize their revenues and profits from Fox World, which could only be done if the Agreement

26

continued through the end of the 12-year initial term and was renewed for 10-20 more years as

27

provided for under the Agreement.

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80.

Through their conduct in inducing Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext to
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COMPLAINT

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improperly terminate the Agreement, Defendants Disney and 21CF caused damage to Plaintiff in

2

an amount to be proven at trial.

3
4
5

81.

The conduct of Defendants Disney and 21CF was a substantial factor in causing

Plaintiff’s harm.
82.

In engaging in the misconduct alleged herein, Defendants Disney and 21CF have

6

acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, and in willful disregard of Plaintiff’s rights and interests,

7

thus entitling Plaintiff to an award of punitive damages in an amount appropriate to punish or

8

make an example of Defendants Disney and 21CF, pursuant to California Civil Code § 3294.

9

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION

10

Intentional Interference with Contract

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(By Plaintiff Against Disney and 21CF)

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17
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83.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference and realleges each and every allegation in

paragraph 1 through 64 of this Complaint, inclusive, as though fully set forth herein.
84.

Plaintiff and Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext were parties to the

Agreement, which is a valid and binding contract.
85.

At all relevant times, Defendants Disney and 21CF were aware of the Agreement

and its terms.
86.

Defendants Disney and 21CF intended to disrupt and/or prevent Defendants FEG,

19

TCFFC, and/or FoxNext’s performance of the Agreement because Defendants Disney and 21CF

20

knew they would benefit from the disruption and/or prevention of performance of the Agreement.

21

Among other benefits, Defendant Disney would benefit from FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext’s

22

improper termination of the Agreement by suppressing competition against Disney’s existing

23

theme parks, and by “protecting” Disney’s “family-friendly” image from association with

24

GENM’s gaming businesses. 21CF, including in particular its CEO James Murdoch, disapproved

25

of the business fundamentals of Fox World, with Mr. Murdoch commenting to others within Fox

26

that he preferred to invest in and operate Fox-owned parks rather than license Fox IP to third-

27

party theme park owners. Moreover, allowing an entity such as GENM, over which 21CF would

28

have no control, to own and operate a theme park called “Fox World” would have been
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW

COMPLAINT

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inconsistent with 21CF’s business plans to rebrand the company using the name “FOX” after the

2

merger. In connection with that merger, Disney and 21CF issued a Joint Proxy Statement to

3

stockholders in June 2018, disclosing that when the companies merged, the Fox name and related

4

trademarks would be transferred to a new entity referred to as “New Fox,” which would not be

5

under Disney’s control and which would have no theme park division. Accordingly, post-merger

6

it will be “New Fox”—which, on information and belief, will be called “FOX” effective in

7

2019—rather than Disney that will have the authority to license the rights for Fox World.

8

Continued performance by Disney/FEG under the Agreement with GENM, and the use of the

9

“Fox World” branding by GENM, thus appear to have been inconsistent with the terms of the

10

merger between Disney and 21CF. Regardless, permitting the “Fox” brand to attach to a theme

11

park over which FOX would have no control for what could amount to decades would have

12

created business complications that Disney and 21CF preferred to avoid. Thus, on information

13

and belief, Disney and 21CF, with knowledge of the Agreement, improperly directed FEG to

14

terminate the Agreement.

15

87.

Through the conduct described above, Defendants Disney and 21CF caused the

16

disruption and/or prevention of Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext’s performance under

17

the Agreement, as set forth above. But for the influence or direction of Defendants Disney and

18

21CF, the other Defendants would have had no incentive, basis, and/or ability to collude with

19

Defendants Disney and 21CF; rather, absent such collusion, the primary goal of Defendants FEG,

20

TCFFC, and/or FoxNext would have been to maximize their revenues and profits from Fox

21

World, which could only be done if the Agreement continued through the end of the 12-year

22

initial term and was renewed for 10-20 more years as provided for under the Agreement.

23

88.

Through their conduct in collaborating and/or participating in acts that led to the

24

disruption and/or prevention of Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext’s performance of the

25

Agreement through the termination of that Agreement, Defendants Disney and 21CF caused

26

damage to Plaintiff in an amount to be proven at trial.

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89.

The conduct of Defendants Disney and 21CF was a substantial factor in causing

Plaintiff’s harm.
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COMPLAINT

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90.

In engaging in the misconduct alleged herein, Defendants Disney and 21CF have

2

acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, and in willful disregard of Plaintiff’s rights and interests,

3

thus entitling Plaintiff to an award of punitive damages in an amount appropriate to punish or

4

make an example of Defendants Disney and 21CF, pursuant to California Civil Code § 3294.

5

FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION

6

Declaratory Relief

7

(By Plaintiff Against Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and FoxNext)

8
9
10

91.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference and realleges each and every allegation in

paragraph 1 through 64 of this Complaint, inclusive, as though fully set forth herein.
92.

An actual controversy has arisen and now exists between Plaintiff and Defendants

11

FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext regarding the validity of those Defendants’ termination of the

12

Agreement. Plaintiff is informed and believes that Defendants FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext

13

contend that Plaintiff breached the Agreement, that those Defendants were therefore entitled to

14

terminate it, and that GENM owes them millions of dollars upon termination. Plaintiff, on the

15

other hand, contends that it has not breached the Agreement and that FEG, TCFFC, and/or

16

FoxNext therefore had no right to terminate it and have no right to collect any termination fees

17

from GENM. These issues have been raised with FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext, which disagree

18

with GENM’s position, and thus the parties have a dispute concerning whether the Agreement

19

was properly terminated by FEG, TCFFC, and/or FoxNext.

20

93.

Therefore, Plaintiff requests that this Court make and enter its binding judicial

21

declarations in accordance with Plaintiff’s contentions set forth above. These declarations are

22

both necessary and proper at this time under the circumstances in that, among other things, the

23

interests of judicial economy and substantial justice will be served thereby.

24
25
26

PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for judgment against the Defendants and each of them,
jointly and severally, as follows:

27

1.

For monetary damages in an amount to be proven at trial;

28

2.

For a judicial declaration of the parties’ contractual rights and duties in connection
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COMPLAINT

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with the Agreement alleged herein;

2

3.

For an award of punitive damages in an amount to be proven at trial;

3

4.

That Plaintiff be awarded all pre-judgment interest allowable by law;

4

5.

That Plaintiff be awarded its costs; and

5

6.

For such further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.

6
7
8
9

Los Angeles, California
Dated: November 26, 2018

KASOWITZ BENSON TORRES LLP
By: /s/ John V. Berlinski

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John V. Berlinski, Esq.
Daniel A. Saunders, Esq.
Candace Frazier, Esq.
2029 Century Park East, Suite 2000
Los Angeles, California 90067
Telephone: (424) 288-7900

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Attorneys for Plaintiff
Genting Malaysia Berhad

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COMPLAINT