Moana 2 has done gangbuster business for the Walt Disney Company, since its November 2024 release. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie continues to charm audiences and set up the possibility of more adventures with everyone’s favorite way-finder. However, the picture’s success did come with some controversy in the way of a lawsuit. Surprisingly, the lawsuit isn’t only focused on Moana 2, but the franchise as a whole. With so many legal details to keep track of, Collider is here to explain it all!
The Lawsuit Surrounding ‘Moana 2’ Seeks a Hefty Payout
The success of Moana 2 cannot be understated. But with said success comes a hefty price tag attached to the lawsuit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, animator/writer, Buck Woodall, has filed the lawsuit, saying that Disney ripped off his project, Bucky, and is seeking a $10,000,000 payout for the alleged stolen intellectual property. Per the lawsuit, Moana 2 does contain a number of similarities to Bucky. Like Disney’s hit sequel, Bucky focused on Polynesian culture, and both feature teenagers who defy their parents, setting out on adventures on the ocean, and face off with gods.
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Woodall says he’d had exposure to the culture, which heavily influenced the unmade Bucky. Certainly, his claims of similarities are not without their merit. But they’re also not exclusive to the sequel, with Woodall claiming that he began pitching Bucky long before the first Moana was released.
Woodall’s ‘Moana’ Lawsuit Goes Back a Number of Decades
Woodall’s claims of infringement go back to before Moana 2. In fact, Woodall tried to file a suit against Moana back in November 2024, but it was dismissed by the court as the filing was too late. The release of Moana 2, though, allowed for Woodall to proceed with his claim. Woodall’s lawsuit says that the issue dates all the way back to 2003. Woodall alleges that he sent a screenplay and trailer to Mandeville Films’ director of development, Jenny Marchick. Now known for her work at Dreamworks, Woodall says that Marchick asked for further material regarding Bucky. Mandeville had a “first look” deal with the Walt Disney Company during this period and Marchick, allegedly, claimed that she could get the film greenlit. It should be noted that Disney contested the allegations and claimed that no one involved in Moana’s production saw the materials from Bucky. At this time, it is unclear if said materials ever made their way to Disney. Director Ron Clements noted in a declaration to the court that “Moana was not inspired by or based in any way on [Woodall] or his ‘Bucky’ project, which I learned of for the first time after this lawsuit was filed.” While we won’t know of the outcome of the case for some time, Woodall is seeking 2.5% of the picture’s gross.
The lawsuit surrounding the Moana franchise is certainly a complex one. Woodall’s claims are serious, especially considering how successful the movies are. While Disney is remaining largely quiet on the issue, others have made their opinions well known. We will have to wait for the case to go to trial for more information. In the meantime, Moana 2 continues to delight fans around the world.
Moana 2
- Release Date
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November 27, 2024
- Runtime
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100 Minutes
- Director
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David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller
- Writers
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Dana Ledoux Miller, Jared Bush, Jason Hand, Ron Clements, John Musker
