Entertainment

Animator Sues Disney for $10 Billion Over Alleged Moana 2 Copyright Theft

Published

3 hours ago

Jan 16, 2025.

Animator Bucky Woodall is suing Disney for $10 billion, claiming Moana copied his screenplay.
Woodall alleges key elements of Moana and Moana 2 were lifted from his 2003 project, Bucky.
Disney denies the claims, asserting Moana was developed independently of Woodall’s materials.

An animator has filed a lawsuit against Disney, claiming that the entertainment giant stole the concept for the Moana franchise from his decades-old screenplay.

Bucky Woodall, who created a screenplay titled Bucky in the early 2000s, alleges that Disney copied key elements of his work for both the original Moana film and its sequel, Moana 2, without his consent.

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The lawsuit, which was filed in a California federal court on Friday, seeks $10 billion in damages.

Woodall’s complaint highlights several similarities between his screenplay and the Moana franchise.

His 2003 screenplay, titled Bucky, revolves around a teenager on an ocean voyage, much like Moana’s story. Woodall contends that the character of Bucky and the narrative were the foundation for what later became Disney’s Moana series.

In his suit, Woodall argues that the 2016 Moana film, which grossed over $680 million globally and became a streaming success on Disney+, mirrors many aspects of his project, which he claims was passed to Jenny Marchick, a former development director at Mandeville Films, who now works at DreamWorks Animation.

According to the lawsuit, Woodall provided Marchick with extensive materials for Bucky, including a screenplay, trailer, storyboards, character designs, and production plans.

Woodall asserts that he was led to believe his project would be greenlit, but instead, he claims Marchick used his intellectual property and trade secrets to inspire Moana.

Woodall’s lawsuit includes details such as the inclusion of animal companions (like a rooster and a pig), a dangerous whirlpool that leads to a portal, and the introduction of the Kakamora warrior tribe, all elements that Woodall argues originated in his Bucky screenplay.

The lawsuit also takes issue with Moana 2, claiming that the sequel further exploits ideas that Woodall had developed for Bucky.

The plot of Moana 2 includes a Polynesian teenager on a journey to save her people, meeting ancient spirits and encountering similar dangers.

Woodall suggests these elements were lifted directly from his own work, furthering his claim that Disney’s Moana films are based on his copyrighted materials.

Although Moana was released in 2016, Woodall’s opportunity to sue was delayed until the release of Moana 2.

His first lawsuit, filed last year, was dismissed after a California court ruled that he had filed it too late.

However, with the sequel’s release, Woodall is now pursuing legal action again, this time demanding 2.5% of Moana‘s total gross revenue, which would amount to $10 billion.

He is also seeking a court order to prevent Disney from further infringing upon his copyrights.

In response to the allegations, Disney has denied any wrongdoing.

The company issued a statement during the first lawsuit, with Moana director Ron Clements insisting that the film was not inspired by Woodall’s Bucky project.