As the deadline for Academy Awards nominations approaches within less than two weeks, Disney is embroiled in a lawsuit claiming they copied the concept for the movie ‘Moana’ and its sequel.
Screenwriter Buck Woodall alleges in a court case filed last Friday that Disney stole concepts from his screenplay titled “Bucky,” which is about an animated tale set within an ancient Polynesian village. Both stories feature teenage characters who go against their parents and take perilous journeys to safeguard their homes, meeting spirit-animals during these adventures.
The lawsuit filed on Friday is a subsequent move, stemming from a court decision in November that exempted Disney from a copyright case similar to one initiated by Woodall concerning the film “Moana”, as he filed his claim past the due date. However, with the release of “Moana 2”, Woodall was granted the opportunity to pursue additional legal proceedings.
In other words, the court ruled that it’s up to a jury to decide if the disputed works are significantly alike, if the statute of limitations hadn’t expired yet. Additionally, it was suggested that an employee at Disney Animation TV might have been exposed to copyrighted “Bucky” materials before the start of development for Moana, which debuted in 2016.
U.S. District Judge Consuelo Marshall stated in her ruling that there’s a question about whether the parties’ creations are truly alike in important ways and strikingly so.
As a thrilled fan, I can’t help but share my excitement about the release of “Moana 2”. This sequel is making waves and could potentially secure an Academy Award nomination for best animated feature! Incredibly, it broke numerous records during its opening weekend, becoming the film with the biggest five-day debut ever, raking in a staggering $224.2 million at the box office. To put things into perspective, the original Moana grossed over $687 million worldwide, which is simply amazing!
Disney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
From 2003, Woodall claims he shared the screenplay and trailer for “Bucky” with Jenny Marchick, who was then the director of development at Mandeville Films and is now head of development for features at DreamWorks Animation. She reportedly expressed interest in receiving more materials, such as character designs, production strategies, and storyboards, by promising him that she could approve the film. It’s stated in the lawsuit that at that time, Mandeville had a first look deal with Disney and had offices located on Disney’s facilities in Burbank.
The legal case highlights striking resemblances between the movie “Moana” and the work titled “Bucky.” One instance of this is their shared emphasis on the Polynesian tradition where spiritual ancestors are represented as animals, which is recurrent in both stories. Additional parallels include:
– The narrative commencing with a turtle in both instances.
– A plot element centered around a meaningful necklace.
– The central character interacting with a demigod who sports a large hook and tattoos, similar to one found in “Moana.”
– Both stories feature a colossal creature hidden inside a mountain.
The lawsuit mentions that Disney’s ‘Moana’ was created following Woodall delivering almost all essential elements for its creation and production, which he had been developing and working on for over 17 years as an animated film project,” according to the document.
Another point of contention involves the perceived similarities between “Bucky” and Moana 2. For example, both stories involve their main characters embarking on a quest to find an ancient island and lift a curse. The lawsuit also mentions that Moana and her crew are drawn into a dangerous whirlpool-like oceanic portal, which is a striking and distinctive visual element seen in the materials of the plaintiffs, something that seems highly unlikely to have occurred by chance or without ill intent.
Woodall is requesting compensation amounting to 2.5% of Moana’s total earnings (which equates to approximately $10 billion) and also asking the court for an injunction to prevent any future violations of his copyright rights.
In a previous legal case initiated by Woodall, Disney challenged claims that their work, Moana, resembled Woodall’s and that those involved in creating Moana had not seen his materials. Director Ron Clements stated in a court declaration that Moana was neither inspired by nor based on Woodall or his ‘Bucky’ project; he first learned about it after this lawsuit was filed.
Disney provided evidence showing they independently produced the film ‘Moana’, by submitting documentation detailing its conception and growth process. This included early story concepts, pitch resources, research findings, personal travel logs, and final drafts of the script.
The script for “Bucky” has been officially recorded with the Writers Guild of America, and the U.S. Copyright Office has provided legal safeguards for its content.
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2025-01-11 05:27