Disney sued for $250 million after woman claims Frozen is stolen from her life story

Isabella Tanikumi has filed a lawsuit claiming to have spotted alleged similarities with her self-published 2010 autobiography

A still from the Disney film Frozen (Walt DisneyFeatures)

Disney's global hit Frozen might be about a queen with magical icy powers who accidentally freezes her kingdom, but one woman is convinced that the storyline is a rip-off of her own life.

Latin American author Isabella Tanikumi is sueing Disney for plagiarism in a $250 million lawsuit, claiming that the plot is based on her 2010 autobiography and not Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, The Snow Queen.

Tanikumi's self-published book, Yearnings of the Heart, details her experiences of growing up in the Peruvian Andes but surprisingly, no chattering snowmen, talking trolls or secret ice palaces feature.

There is the 'sister element' of Frozen, apparently, as Tanikumi recalls “conquering personal insecurities and exploring the reaches of her intellect while facing the tragic, and untimely death of her beloved sister, Laura”.

Then there's her struggles getting used to American life and culture, her “many enduring friendships” and a dialogue with “long lost love Eduardo”.

In contrast, IMDB summarises Frozen as follows: “When a princess with the power to turn things into ice curses her home in infinite winter, her sister, Anna, teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer and a snowman to change the weather condition.”

Perhaps Tanikumi's autobiography needs to be read in full but regardless, she shows no signs of letting this one go.

Representatives for Tanikumi are directing enquiries to a copy of the lawsuit, which can be read online here. Disney is yet to respond to a request for comment.