Animator Buck Woodall Sues Disney for Allegedly Copying Ideas for Moana and Moana 2: Details

As the Academy prepares to reveal the potential 2025 Oscar nominees within mere days, Disney is embroiled in a legal dispute over accusations that they copied concepts for both Moana and its subsequent sequel.

On Friday, January 10th, in a court filing made at a federal court in California, animator Buck Woodall alleged that Disney had stolen ideas from his screenplay for an animated film titled “Bucky.” He claims that Disney’s similar offerings are also set within an ancient Polynesian village and follow teenagers who challenge their parents by embarking on perilous journeys to save their community, encountering spirits taking the form of animals throughout their travels.

In the spirit of transparency, I’m sharing a personal account that unfolds from a court ruling in November 2024. This decision shielded Disney from another copyright lawsuit by Woodall regarding Moana. The reason? He filed his suit after the deadline. With the launch of Moana 2 over the Christmas weekend, he was able to instigate the ongoing legal proceedings.

If the deadline for legal action hasn’t been reached, the court ruled that it would be up to a jury to determine whether the disputed works are indeed identical.

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but express my excitement over Moana 2! With its potential to secure a spot among the Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Feature, this sequel has already made a splash with an impressive opening of $224.5 million at the box office. And if you think that’s impressive, just wait until you hear about its predecessor – the original Moana grossed a staggering $687 million worldwide! Truly a testament to the power and appeal of this enchanting story.

Woodall is aiming for compensation amounting to 2.5% of Moana’s total earnings, which would equate to approximately $10 billion. Additionally, he wants the court to issue an injunction preventing any future violations of his copyright rights.

In simpler terms, the script for “Bucky” has been officially recorded with the Writers Guild of America and it’s now safeguarded by the U.S. Copyright Office, which means the content is legally protected.

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2025-01-11 18:52