Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson smiling for pictures at the Moana 2 UK Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square in London.
Credit: Shutterstock, Fred Duval
Animator demands justice in explosive $10 billion lawsuit against Disney:
In a shocking twist that could shake the House of Mouse to its core, animator Bucky Woodall has slapped Disney with a staggering $10 billion lawsuit, accusing the entertainment giant of stealing his decades-old ideas for the smash-hit franchise Moana. Woodall claims that Disney copied key elements of his screenplay, titled Bucky, in the making of Moana 2, which has already cleared up at the box office with people flocking to cinemas worldwide.
The lawsuit – which was filed in the US federal court of California on January 10 – alleges that Disney took significant chunks of Woodall’s work without him knowing. Moana, released in 2016, became an instant classic, raking in over $680 million globally. The story follows the brave Moana, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, who embarks on a daring sea voyage to save her people, with the help of the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson). The film’s success only continued with its streaming dominion, clocking over 1 billion hours watched on Disney+.
Fast forward to Moana 2, a sequel so successful it could be on the verge of snagging an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. The film, released recently, sees Moana back together with Maui for another ocean adventure. On opening day alone, it earned $57.5 million and has brought in an impressive $989.8 million worldwide since then.
However, Woodall claims the Moana franchise is ‘lifted’ from a screenplay he shared with Jenny Marchick, former Mandeville Films development director, and current head of development at DreamWorks Animation. Woodall’s suit alleges that Disney embarked on a ‘fraudulent enterprise’ to steal his work. He claims Marchick demanded massive amounts of intellectual property, trade secrets, and project materials for Bucky and its sequel, Bucky the Wave Warrior, between 2003 and 2007. In return, Woodall says he was promised a green light for the film, but this never materialised.
The animator argues that Moana was produced only after Woodall had handed over what he calls ‘virtually all the parts necessary for its development and production.’ According to his lawsuit, this has left him with a bitter taste of injustice, accusing Disney of exploiting his hard work for profit without acknowledging his contributions.
Disney is notorious for suing anyone who uses their copyrighted material even on social media platforms like YouTube and even for non-commercial purposes. Have they been caught out doing the exact thing they are so quick to accuse others of?
Woodall’s legal action comes after a failed attempt to sue Disney last year. That case was dismissed in November due to a timing issue, but now with the release of Moana 2, Woodall is back in the fight, hoping this time the courts will see things his way. The lawsuit lists the alleged theft of his ideas as including not just the film’s story, but key elements like character designs, production plans, and storyboards.
As the legal battle approaches, Disney will no doubt be hoping it can sail through the storm without capsizing. But with $10 billion on the line, this lawsuit could be the roughest sea the studio has ever navigated.
Stay tuned.
Get more US news.
Get more celebrity news.
