Writer sues Disney for $10B, claiming 'breathtaking' similarities between his script and 'Moana' movies
Greta Cross, USA TODAY
January 14, 2025 at 10:19 PM
A filmmaker is suing Disney over copyright infringement of the "Moana" franchise, claiming the films show several similarities to an idea he had worked on years ago.
Buck Woodall, a writer, producer and artist, filed a lawsuit on Friday, Jan. 10, claiming The Walt Disney Company, an independent film company called Mandeville Films and Jenny Marchick, who was named head of feature development for DreamWorks Animation in 2020, stole his ideas to create "Moana." The lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY, follows the release of "Moana 2," which hit theaters in November 2024.
According to the lawsuit, Woodall claims he is entitled to "at least $10 billion" in damages and 2.5% of gross revenue earned by Disney from the "Moana 2" film and related merchandise, which he claims would be "at least $5 billion."
The original "Moana" movie, released in 2016, tells the story of a teenager on a mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) meets a demigod named Maui (Dwyane Johnson) who guides her though an action-packed voyage. "Moana 2" follows Moana and Maui after Moana receives a surprising call from her ancestors.
Both movies were box office hits, with the more recent film bringing in $221 million during its five-day domestic debut, according to Disney, which set a record for the largest Thanksgiving weekend haul in history, as USA TODAY previously reported.
The Walt Disney Company nor NBC Universal, which owns DreamWorks Animation, immediately responded when contacted for comment about the lawsuit by USA TODAY.
Here's what to know about the lawsuit.
Lawsuit describes 'breathtaking' similarities
According to the lawsuit, Woodall claims that "Moana" and "Moana 2" are a direct rip of his original animated film called "Bucky the Wave Warrior" or "Bucky," which was inspired by his "unique exposure" to Polynesian culture.
Woodall claims the films have "breathtaking" similarities, including a story that centers around a teenager on a dangerous voyage to save a Polynesian island, representations of Polynesian ancestors through animal spirits, a symbolic necklace that plays a special role in the story, and a demigod with a giant hook and tattoo who helps the protagonist, to name just a few.
Per the lawsuit, around 2003, Woodall began sharing his ideas for "Bucky" with Jenny Marchick, who at the time was the director of development at Mandeville Films, an independent film production studio in California. Marchick allegedly told Woodall that the production studio held a "first look" deal with Disney, meaning Mandeville could provide exclusive previews to Disney for purchase, according to the lawsuit.
Woodall claims that over the course of several years, Marchick "prodded" him for additional "Bucky" content, including an animated trailer, storyboards and a draft script, of which he provided.
According to the lawsuit, Marchick told Woodall on the "eve of the release of 'Moana'" that she was unsure if his "Bucky" materials "made it beyond her desk." But Woodall claims that upon delivering his final script to Marchick in 2011, those materials were already in the hands of Disney for the creation of the first "Moana" film.
Woodall, per the lawsuit, registered "Bucky" assets, including a trailer, with the Writers Guild of America, and it was granted federal copyright protections in 2004, which were updated in 2014.
Woodall is seeking a jury trial for the lawsuit.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Moana' lawsuit: Writer alleges 'breathtaking' parallels to his work