A lawsuit alleges Disney copied elements from Buck Woodall’s screenplay for ‘Moana 2’, seeking $10 billion in damages.
Animator Buck Woodall has taken Disney to court, claiming they ripped off his animated film, “Bucky,” to create the Moana movies. He’s asking for a whopping $10 billion, which is 2.5% of Moana’s gross revenue.
Woodall tried to sue Disney back when the first Moana came out in 2016, but he was too late. Now that the sequel is out, he sees another chance to take action.
His screenplay, copyrighted in 2003, is set in a Polynesian village and follows a strong-willed teen on a quest to break a curse. Along the way, she meets spirit animals and a magical demigod with a signature hook. There are a bunch of similarities between his story and Moana, like both starting with turtles and characters going down a whirlpool.
Back in 2003, Woodall shared his work with a director at Mandeville Films, who had a deal with Disney. Disney, on the other hand, is ready to defend itself, claiming Moana is original.
Moana’s director, Ron Clements, stated in court that the film wasn’t inspired by Woodall or his project, which he only learned about after the lawsuit was filed.
With Oscar nominations coming up soon, this lawsuit couldn’t have come at a worse time. It might hurt Moana 2’s chances for nominations in categories like Best Animated Feature or Best Original Song.
