Disney has been hit with a copyright lawsuit alleging that the wildly well-liked Moana franchise was practically fully lifted from a decades-old screenplay with out the author's consent.

In a lawsuit reviewed by Leisure Weekly that was filed Friday, animator Buck Woodall claims that former Mandeville Movies improvement director Jenny Marchick violated his copyright by secretly passing to Disney supplies he produced confidentially for her twenty years in the past. That materials, Woodall alleges, grew to become Moana and Moana 2.

A court docket ruling final November prevented Woodall from bringing an an identical go well with towards the unique 2016 movie as a result of the submitting would have come too late. Although Woodall's go well with filed Friday accommodates quite a few allegations concerning the first Moana movie, the substance of his argument focuses on the sequel launched in November 2024.

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Reps for Disney didn’t instantly reply to Leisure Weekly's request for remark.

Woodall's go well with alleges a "fraudulent enterprise that encompassed the theft, misappropriation, and intensive exploitation of Woodall's copyrighted supplies" spearheaded by Marchick, who’s now head of improvement at DreamWorks Animation. Mandeville Movies had a first-look cope with Disney, in addition to workplaces on the Burbank, Calif., Disney lot on the time of Marchick's dealings with Woodall.

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The animator claims that he delivered to Marchick "extraordinarily massive portions of mental property and commerce secrets and techniques" associated to a undertaking variously referred to as "Bucky" and "Bucky the Wave Warrior" between 2003 and 2008. These supplies included a accomplished screenplay, character illustrations, budgets, a completely animated idea trailer, storyboards, background picture references, and extra.

Woodall additionally notes that he obtained copyright safety on these supplies in 2004 that was up to date in 2014.

"Bucky" was by no means developed, however Woodall claims that Marchick was in a position to move his supplies to Disney by exploiting authorized loopholes inherent to the "tapestry of confusion" that’s Disney's elaborate company construction. In keeping with Woodall, "Bucky" not solely grew to become Moana with out his consent, however continued to function the premise for Moana 2 as nicely.

The go well with enumerates plenty of similarities between Woodall's undeveloped script and Moana and Moana 2. Like "Bucky," the primary movie follows an adolescent on a voyage in an outrigger canoe throughout Polynesian waters to save lots of Polynesian land. It options the Polynesian perception in religious ancestors who manifest as animal guides, and plenty of specifics together with a symbolic necklace, navigation by stars, a lava goddess, and an enormous creature disguised as a mountainous island.

As for Moana 2, the go well with notes that particulars such because the rooster and pig companions, a mission to interrupt a curse, a whirlpool that results in an oceanic portal, and an encounter with the Kakamora warrior tribe had been all lifted with out consent from "Bucky."

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Whereas Woodall claims within the new go well with that Disney did not ship all paperwork requested within the prior go well with, Disney did submit paperwork referring to Moana together with story concepts, early screenplay drafts, analysis notes, and pitch supplies.

Woodall seeks as damages 2.5 % of Moana's gross income, equal to $10 billion, and a court docket order affirming his copyright and barring additional infringement.

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