An action in the California Federal Court was filed by animator Buck Woodhall against Disney on Friday. He claims that Disney copied his idea for the Moana film franchise from the screenplay he had written for an animated film called ‘Bucky’.
The first Moana film, released in 2016, grossed over $680 million globally in the box office and its latest instalment has grossed close to $1 billion globally since its release in November 2024. Woodhall filed a similar action in 2024 in respect of the first film which was dismissed on the basis that too much time had passed since its release. The release of Moana 2 has given him a further opportunity to take action against Disney as the limitation period (the period in which a copyright owner can bring an action for infringement) has essentially reset.
Woodhall has alleged that Jenny Marchick, former development director of Mandeville Films, committed “fraudulent enterprise that encompassed theft, misappropriation and extensive exploitation of his copyrighted materials” after Woodhall gave Marchick a screenplay and trailer, followed by character designs, production plans, budgets and storyboards for ‘Bucky’ dating back to 2003. Woodhall claims that this was done with the intention of getting the film the go ahead and had shared extensive protected works protected by copyright and trade secrets on this basis.
Specific similarities between Bucky and Moana include the fact that both follow teenagers hoping to save their home land that is situated in a Polynesian village and encounter spirits who appear as animals on their journey, specifically including the rooster and pig characters, a meeting with the Kakomora tribe, and a whirlpool that leads to a portal. The action states that these similarities “could not possibly have been developed by chance or without malicious intentions”.
Woodhall is seeking $10 billion in damages, which works out at just 2.5% of the franchise’s total gross earnings, as well as an injunction to prevent further infringement. Disney has not yet responded to the filing. However, in response to Woodhall’s previous filing, it stated in a court declaration that Moana was not inspired by or based on Bucky in any way.
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