Disney has been hit with a wonderful start to the new year, a copyright lawsuit claim for $10,000,000,000 alleging that the Moana franchise was lifted from a decades-old screenplay without the writer’s consent.
Buck Woodall alleges that Disney stole many elements of his animated film project titled Bucky.
He alleges that he produced the screenplay and trailer for the film where the main character encounters a tattooed demigod with a giant hook and a giant creature that’s concealed within the mountains.
This idea was shared with Jenny Marchick who was development director at Mandeville Films before moving onto Dreamworks Animation’s head of development for features.
It’s alleged that she asked for materials like production plans, character designs and storyboards and reassured Woodall he could get the film greenlit.
He has now accused Marchick of using legal loopholes to pass on his materials to Disney despite copyright his own material in 2004 and updating it again in 2014.
Similarities between the two films include an ancient Polynesian village where teens attempt to save their land and meet ancient spirits who manifest as animals. Other similaries include a rooster and pig companions and a quest to break a curse in addition to a whirlpool that leads to a portal.
Woodall has previously tried to sue Disney over Moana but it was ruled in November last year that he had tried to sue too late over the 2016 film. This was initially discussed by The Hollywood Reporter.
With the sequel he now has new grounds to sue once again.
Moana 2 has grossed $989.8m worldwide but Woodall is seeking damages worth 2.5% of the gross revenue of Moana, equivalent to $10bn.
He is also seeking an order banning further infringement of his copyrights.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney had submitted legal documents regarding the origin and development of Moana.
Check out our IMAX review of Moana 2 HERE
