PARIS - Victor Hugo's family yesterday asked the French government to intervene over the promotional excesses surrounding The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the animated Walt Disney film inspired by the 19th century author's story.
In a letter published in Liberation, Hugols five great great grandchildren called on the "cultural authorities of our country to react to the commercial plundering" which has seen the heroine, Esmeralda, take on the features of Demi Moore and the living gargoyle, Quasimodo, merchandised as a cuddly toy.
The Setter denounces the "commercial debauchery which confuses the universality of genius with vulgar globalisation by unscrupulous merchants".
The descendants have no copyright control over NotreDame de Paris, the 1831 novel from Which the story is drawn but they remain influential in the French literary world. They said they were particularly offended at slogans such as "The adventure continues at McDonald's" and "Relive the emotion of the film at (the supermarket) Monoprix".