Disney Demands One-Third Of Proceeds From Elementary School That Screened ‘Lion King’ Remake At Fundraiser

Disney has demanded a Berkeley, California, elementary school pay one-third of the proceeds from a fundraiser where the recent “Lion King” remake was screened. The company claims it is owed $250 by Emerson Elementary School, which it claims screened the hit film illegally. The fundraiser organizers have said that they were unaware of any law they were breaking.

“One of the dads bought the movie at Best Buy,” David Rose, president of the school’s PTA, said in a statement to CNN. “He owned it. We literally had no idea we were breaking any rules.”

Despite this frustration, the school has said that it will pay what Disney is demanding. The school raised roughly $800 from the “Parents Night Out” themed event, which was held on Nov. 15.

The fundraiser was first noticed by Movie Licensing USA, which manages license rights for Disney and other major movie studios. The single-use license for the film would have been $250, while a year-long permit would run $536.

“Any time a movie is shown outside of the home, legal permission is needed to show it, as it is considered a Public Performance,” an email sent by the company to school read. “Any time movies are shown without the proper license, copyright law is violated and the entity showing the movie can be fined by the studios.”

Berkeley City Council member and Emerson parent Lori Droste has been sharply critical of Disney’s actions. She accused the mega-corporation of underpaying on local property tax laws thanks to a proposition passed in 1979, which in turn left area schools severely underfunded and in need of such fundraisers.

Who wants to hear an unbelievable story about how Disney is essentially fining Berkeley’s Emerson Elementary School PTA $250 while reaping millions of dollars through a corporate loophole that has decimated public schools across California? @Schools1stCA @evolve_ca @berkeleyside
— 🏳️‍🌈 Lori Droste (@loridroste) January 31, 2020

“It's just so appalling that an incredibly wealthy corporation... is having its licensing agents chase after a PTA having to raise insane amounts of money just to pay teachers, cover financial scholarships and manage school programs,” Droste said.

Neither Disney nor Movie Licensing USA responded to CNN’s requests for comment.

Released in July 2019, director Jon Favreau’s remake of the beloved animated film, "The Lion King," went on to become one of the most successful releases of all time, grossing over $1.6 billion worldwide.