Malaysian resort company sues Disney, Fox over theme park

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Malaysian resort developer is seeking at least $1 billion in damages from Walt Disney Co. and Fox Entertainment Group for alleged breach of contract related to a theme park.

Genting Malaysia Bhd said in a statement Tuesday that it filed the lawsuit in the Central California District Court on Monday citing damages from Fox’s withdrawal from the project. Calls to Disney rang unanswered after office hours.

Reports said Fox backed out of its five-year-old agreement to license its intellectual property for a Fox World theme park in Resort World Genting after disagreements over the terms of the deal. Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox also raised issues because Genting’s resort includes a casino, which conflicts with Disney’s stance against gambling. The theme park would have been Fox’s first.