A Los Angeles court has determined that Disney did not copy the concept behind Moana from an animator’s tale about a young Hawaiian surfer’s escapades.
Following approximately two hours of discussion, the jury supported a Disney division on Monday, stating that there was no violation of Buck Woodall’s copyright for “Bucky and the Surfer Boy.” The reason given is that none of their employees had ever come across materials related to his screenplay. He claimed he had sent “Bucky”-related content more than ten years ago to his brother’s sister-in-law, who was then employed at Mandeville Films on the Disney lot. She allegedly passed these materials onto someone in Disney Animation TV before the start of Moana‘s development.
In this particular case, Disney’s Buena Vista Home Entertainment, responsible for selling DVDs of the 2016 movie, was the sole defendant. By the time Woodall filed his lawsuit in 2020, the opportunity to sue Disney (who did not respond to requests for comment) under the three-year statute of limitations for copyright infringement had expired. However, with the launch of Moana 2, the animator recently filed a fresh lawsuit alleging that Disney plagiarized “Bucky.” Both productions, featuring an ancient Polynesian village setting, involve teenagers disobeying their parents to embark on perilous journeys to protect their homes while encountering animals representing spirits during these voyages.
As a gamer, I can say that the verdict from the jury, composed of six women and two men, was based on their determination that Disney had no claim to Woodall’s works. Once that matter was settled, there was no need for them to delve into any supposed resemblances between “Bucky” and Moana.
As a game enthusiast sharing my tale, let me tell you about an exciting project I pitched: a screenplay for a movie called “Bucky.” I handed over the script and a trailer to Jenny Marchick, then the director of development at Mandeville Films (now DreamWorks Animation’s head of feature development). She expressed interest in more materials, like character designs, production blueprints, and storyboards. She hinted that she had the authority to give the project a green light. At that time, Mandeville had an exclusive deal with Disney, working out of their studios in Burbank. However, despite her promises, the movie never got made, leading me to file a lawsuit.
Under oath, Marchick declared her absolute assurance that she had never disclosed any Bucky-related materials to anyone at Disney, as reported by Courthouse News Service.
In my own words, I, John Musker, the director and writer of Moana, have refuted allegations claiming that my longtime collaborator Ron Clements and I plagiarized Woodall’s works. Instead, I want to clarify that the storyline of Moana draws inspiration from classic Disney films we’ve produced in the past, such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules. These movies share a common thread where their teenage protagonists overcome various obstacles to uncover profound truths about themselves.
The jury was presented with clips from various films to reinforce claims that the ideas in question are common in the works of Musker and Clements.
The legal case highlighted numerous parallels between the film Moana and “Bucky.” For instance, they both showcase the shared Polynesian concept of spiritual ancestors reincarnated as animals as a recurring theme. Other congruencies include:
1. The protagonist’s adventure commencing with an encounter involving a turtle.
2. A narrative element featuring a significant necklace with symbolic value.
3. A principal character meeting a demigod, who is depicted with a large hook and tattoos.
4. A massive creature hidden within a mountain being part of the storyline.
Woodall persists in filing copyright infringement lawsuits against Disney over the sequel to the movie “Moana”. However, the verdict in this case might suggest that he’s dealing with a challenging situation. He’s aiming for compensation equivalent to 2.5% of the film’s total earnings.
In a spectacular start, the sequel to “Moana” raked in an impressive $224.2 million at the box office, breaking numerous records and setting a new benchmark for the largest five-day opening ever seen. The initial film grossed over $687 million globally.
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2025-03-11 02:27