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Disney Forced to Change Show Name After Lawsuit

Disney+ launched in the United States on November 12, 2019, marking The Walt Disney Company’s entry into the streaming landscape. At launch, the platform featured original series such as The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and The Imagineering Story.

Following the initial success in the U.S., Disney+ expanded globally, entering the Italian market just a few months later, in March 2020. This allowed Disney to tailor content to various audiences, including original programming specific to European viewers.

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The recent legal turmoil surrounding a show titled Avetrana – This Is Not Hollywood highlighted the challenges facing Disney in its international endeavors. The series depicted a fictionalized account of the 2010 murder of a 15-year-old girl by family members, a case that sparked considerable media attention.

As the show was poised for an October 25 premiere, Avetrana Mayor Antonio Iazzi filed a lawsuit against Disney, claiming that the show would damage the town’s reputation.

The court in Taranto accepted Iazzi’s appeal, resulting in a provisional halt of the series release. A hearing scheduled for November 5 is expected to further investigate the matter. Iazzi emphasized that his community, which has under 7,000 residents, is weary of its association with the notorious crime and the stigma it carries.

Avetrana This Is Not Hollywood Disney Plus Italy
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In response to the court’s ruling, Disney announced on October 29 that it would change the show’s title to simply This Is Not Hollywood. This shift is seen as a strategic move aimed at sidestepping any further judicial obstacles while allowing the narrative to be shared without directly associating it with Avetrana.

Per a report from Reuters:

TV crime series whose release was suspended last week by an Italian court will change its name to overcome judicial obstacles, the global entertainment giant said on Tuesday.

“Avetrana – This is not Hollywood”, a fictionalised account of the 2010 murder of a 15-year-old girl by her family members and of the media frenzy that surrounded the case, will instead be called “This is not Hollywood”, a statement said.

Film and TV industry representatives criticised the court decision to halt the series, with the head of the Italian producers’ association APA Chiara Sbarigia calling it “a serious violation of the principle of freedom of expression”.

Avetrana This Is Not Hollywood Disney+
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The legal proceedings ignited discussions concerning artistic freedom, with representatives from the Italian Producers’ Association expressing concerns over the implications of the court’s decision. Chiara Sbarigia, the association’s president, described the court’s action as a potential infringement on freedom of expression.

The new title is expected to debut on Disney+ in Italy starting October 30. Disney aims to navigate the legal landscape while maintaining the integrity of its storytelling and audience engagement.

Do you think Disney should have felt pressured to change the name of This Is Not Hollywood? Or should the judge have allowed them to keep the original name? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. I also love to share daily doses of Disney on my Disney Instagram @BrazzleDazzleDisney!

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