As the deadline for the Academy Awards nominations draws near, Disney is embroiled in a lawsuit over accusations that they copied the concept for ‘Moana’ and its sequel. Animator Buck Woodall alleges that the studio incorporated elements from a screenplay he wrote for a film titled ‘Bucky’. This information was disclosed by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’.
The lawsuit filed by Woodall in a federal court of California claims that both the movie Moana and its script share comparable narratives. They both present teenagers from ancient Polynesian villages who challenge their elders’ decisions to embark on perilous voyages, meeting mystical animal beings during their travels.
In November, the court decided that a jury could determine if the works are significantly alike, but Woodall’s original lawsuit regarding Moana was discarded as it was submitted past due. The launch of Moana 2 offered Woodall another chance to take legal action. The court pointed out that someone from Disney Animation may have viewed Woodall’s copyrighted content before the development of Moana commenced.
The sequel to “Moana” has achieved tremendous success, raking in a whopping $224.2 million on its opening weekend and accumulating over $700 million in global earnings. Interestingly, the initial “Moana” movie also garnered a substantial amount of revenue, totaling $687 million worldwide.
As a dedicated cinephile, I handed over my ‘Bucky’ script and related content to none other than Jenny Marchick, who was affiliated with Mandeville Films – a studio with a partnership with the legendary Disney. The court documents highlight numerous resemblances between our works, which has led to this legal tussle.
- The setting of an ancient Polynesian village
- A teenager goes on an ocean adventure that involves the spirits of ancestors manifesting as animals
- Said adventure begins because of a turtle
- A symbolic necklace is important to the story
- A supporting character is a hook-wielding demigod with tattoos
- A large creature is hidden in a mountain
- The crew is sucked into a whirlpool portal
Woodall is pursuing a claim for $10 billion in compensation, which represents about 2.5% of Moana’s total box office earnings, and also requesting a court injunction to halt any future copyright violations. However, Disney has disputed these claims, arguing that the film Moana was created independently.
According to Director Ron Clements, he discovered Bucky after the legal action was initiated. Disney has further substantiated their assertions through the submission of supporting documents. The screenplay for Woodall is duly registered with the Writers Guild of America and safeguarded by the U.S. Copyright Office.
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2025-01-11 18:13