A new lawsuit has been filed against Disney, accusing the entertainment giant of stealing creative elements from a separate animated project to develop its blockbuster movie Moana and its recent sequel, Moana 2. The claimant, Buck Woodall, is seeking damages of at least $10 billion, alleging that Disney co-opted materials from his original project, Bucky.
Woodall asserts that in 2003, he shared a screenplay and trailer for Bucky with Jenny Marchick, who was the director of development at Mandeville Films at the time, a studio that had a first-look deal with Disney. The lawsuit states that Marchick requested additional materials for the project, including character designs, storyboards, and production plans, in an effort to gain approval for the film. Marchick, who currently works at DreamWorks Animation, is said to have solicited these details to further the development of Bucky.
The legal complaint argues that Disney’s Moana bears an uncanny resemblance to Bucky, citing a series of striking similarities between the two works. Among the most notable similarities is the central plot of a teenager embarking on a perilous journey across Polynesian waters to save an endangered island. Additionally, both projects share recurring themes rooted in Polynesian culture, including the portrayal of spiritual ancestors as animals. Other similarities noted in the lawsuit include a protagonist who encounters a tattooed demigod wielding a large fishhook, and a giant creature hidden within a mountain.
Woodall also points to the similarities between Bucky and Moana 2, specifically a scene in which Moana’s crew is sucked into a watery portal, which the lawsuit claims mirrors imagery in Woodall’s original project. According to the complaint, these visual and thematic parallels “could not possibly have been accidental.”
This is not the first time Woodall has pursued legal action against Disney. Last year, a U.S. district judge dismissed his initial lawsuit, ruling it was filed too late. However, with the release of Moana 2, Woodall has seized the opportunity to renew his claims.
In a statement made in connection with the earlier lawsuit, Ron Clements, a Disney veteran and co-director of Moana, denied any connection between the Disney film and Woodall’s project. Clements said, “Moana was not inspired by or based in any way on [Woodall] or his Bucky project, which I learned of for the first time after this lawsuit was filed.”
As of now, Moana 2 has grossed over $990 million at the global box office, while the original Moana earned $643.3 million and was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. The Moana franchise has also generated significant revenue from consumer products.
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