Animator sues Disney for $10 billion for allegedly stealing his idea for Moana and its sequel | Hollywood

Buck Woodall claimed in his lawsuit that Disney’s Moana franchise exhibits “breathtaking” similarities to his script for Bucky the Wave Warrior

An animator has sued Disney for a staggering $10 billion, claiming the company stole the idea for its Moana franchise from him. Buck Woodall filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company in California federal court on Friday for lifting several elements from his decades-old screenplay for an animated film titled Bucky without his consent.

This image released by Disney shows the character Moana, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, in a scene from "Moana 2." (Disney via AP)(AP)
This image released by Disney shows the character Moana, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, in a scene from “Moana 2.” (Disney via AP)(AP)

Why is Disney being sued for $10 billion? Animator makes shocking claim

Woodall claimed in his lawsuit that Disney’s Moana franchise exhibits “breathtaking” similarities to his script for Bucky the Wave Warrior, which was inspired by his “unique exposure” to Polynesian culture. Both Bucky and Moana follow “a teenager who defies parental warnings and embarks on a dangerous voyage,” according to the lawsuit, per People.

The filmmaker also named production company Mandeville Films and Jenny Marchick, head of feature development for DreamWorks Animation, in the lawsuit. Woodall claims he brought the idea for his Polynesian-inspired film to Marchick and her then-employer Mandeville Films in 2003. The lawsuit alleges that the exec shared Woodall’s copyrighted materials with Disney.

The animator is now seeking “at least $10 billion” in damages and 2.5% of gross revenue earned by Disney from Moana 2 and related merchandise, which he claims would amount to “at least $5 billion.” The lawsuit adds that on “the eve of the release of Moana” in 2016, Marchick allegedly denied that any materials Woodall sent her “made it beyond her desk.”

However, Woodall claims that Disney already had his content when he submitted the final draft script of Bucky to her in 2011. The lawsuit further states that the protagonists in Moana and Bucky travel across Polynesian waters” to save an “endangered” island. Similarities between the two films also include “ancient spirits manifested as animals which guide and guard the living,” among several others.

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