An animator is taking legal action against Disney, accusing the studio of ripping off his ideas in the Moana films.
Following the release of Moana 2 at the end of last year, Buck Woodall filed a lawsuit against the studio on Friday, claiming that elements of both the original animated movie and its sequel had been lifted from the original screenplay of his project Bucky.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Woodall initially filed a lawsuit against the company about the first Moana film, pointing out similarities between the movie and his own screenplay.
These included the fact the protagonists were both teenagers from small Polynesian communities who encountered tattooed demi-gods sporting large fish hooks.
Although a judge ruled that this was done too late and dismissed the claims, the release of Moana 2 meant Woodall has been able to pursue further action against Disney’s latest animated film.
Woodall claims in his lawsuit he gave his screenplay to Jenny Marchick – who was the director of development at the production company Mandeville Films, and had a first-look deal with Disney, at that time – long before production on Moana began.
He is apparently seeking 2.5% of Moana’s gross revenue in damages, which amounts to around $10 billion (£8.23 billion).
Disney has not yet addressed the lawsuit publicly, however, filmmaker Ron Clements – who helmed the first Moana movie – insisted: “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.”
HuffPost UK has also contacted Disney for comment.
Moana was first released in 2016, earning hugely positive reviews and two Oscar nominations, and has gone on to become the most-streamed film in cinema history.
Its sequel hit cinemas in November 2024, and ended up being the third-highest-grossing movie of the year.