Animator Sues Disney, Alleging Theft Of Ideas For Moana and Sequel
Disney is facing a lawsuit from animator Buck Woodall, who claims the company stole his screenplay ideas for the 2016 blockbuster Moana and its upcoming sequel. Filed on January 10 in a California federal court, Woodall accuses Disney of lifting key elements from his animated screenplay titled Bucky.
Woodall alleges that both his screenplay and Disney’s Moana films are set in Polynesian villages and feature young protagonists striving to save their homes while encountering spirit animals. He claims the projects share themes rooted in Polynesian beliefs, such as the idea that ancestors can manifest as animals.
Additional parallels include a narrative involving a turtle, symbolic necklaces, and dramatic oceanic imagery, including a whirlpool-like portal, which Woodall argues could not have been independently conceived by Disney.
This lawsuit follows a prior legal battle in which Woodall sued Disney over the original Moana but was dismissed in November due to a statute of limitations. However, the sequel’s release has provided Woodall a new opportunity to pursue legal action.
In the earlier case, the court acknowledged disputes over substantial similarities between Moana and Bucky and found that Disney Animation TV might have accessed Woodall’s copyrighted materials before developing Moana.
According to Woodall, his screenplay and materials for Bucky were presented in 2003 to Jenny Marchick, then the Director of Development at Mandeville Films, a company with a first-look deal with Disney. Woodall claims Marchick requested production plans, character designs, and storyboards and expressed interest in greenlighting the project.
In his legal filing, Woodall is seeking $10 billion in damages, equivalent to 2.5% of Moana’s gross revenue. He is also requesting a court order to prevent further copyright infringement.
Disney has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
The case raises questions about intellectual property rights and the inspiration behind major film projects. With claims of substantial and striking similarities, a court decision could set a precedent for how such disputes are resolved in Hollywood.
