- Animator claims that Moana and Moana 2 copied his ideas
- Buck Woodall is looking for damages of at least $10 billion
- Moana and Moana 2 have been huge box office successes for Disney
A US animator has filed a lawsuit claiming that plotlines in Moana and Moana 2 were copied from his own work – and is seeking at least $10 billion in damages.
Buck Woodall filed a lawsuit in California federal court on January 10 claiming that Disney stole parts of a screenplay he wrote in the early 2000s and used them in their own films. Woodall is seeking damages of at least $10 billion, as well as 2.5% of gross revenue earned from Moana 2 and its related merchandise, which he estimated would be at least $5 billion.
Moana lawsuit – similarity to other idea
Woodall claims that Disney, Mandeville Films – an independent film company – and Jenny Marchick, the current head of feature development at DreamWorks, took ideas from his animated film called Bucky.
In the lawsuit, Woodall claims there are ‘breathtaking similarities’ between his film and Moana, which was released in 2016. This includes the Polynesian setting, the plot centreing on a teenage protagonist going against their parents’ wishes to take on a dangerous voyage to save an island home, a demigod with a giant hook and tattoos who helps the protagonist and more.
Woodall’s lawsuit also alleges that he shared ideas for Bucky with Marchick – who was then at Mandeville Films – who said the studio had a ‘first look’ deal with Disney. He added that over several years he provided various content to Marchick – including a draft script and storyboards.
Disney has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
Huge Disney success
Moana has become a huge franchise for Disney. The original film took more than $687 million at the box office and has since become a family favorite on DVD and streaming, as well as shifting a huge amount of merchandise. Moana 2 was released late last year and was one of the top five biggest grossing films at the box office for 2024. To date, it has taken $990 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
In addition to the animated films, a live-action version of Moana is also in the works at Disney – including Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui – with a scheduled released date of July 2026. Here is all we know about the live-action Moana movie.
