An animator is attempting to sue Disney for copying components of an animated film he wrote called ‘Bucky’, and using it for the Moana movies.
Buck Woodall is taking legal action against Disney, looking for $10 billion, or 2.5% of Moana’s gross revenue, in compensation, as well as a court order barring further infringement of his copyrights.
Woodall attempted to sue Disney for the first Moana film which was released in 2016, but by the time he brought the case forward, he was told it was too late. However, the release of the film’s sequel has opened up another opportunity for legal action, with Woodall filing a new suit on Friday in a California federal court.
Back in November, when Woodall originally tried to sue, the court found that a jury should decide whether the works at issue are substantially similar. It also concluded that an individual at Disney Animation TV may have seen copyrighted materials for ‘Bucky’ prior to the beginning of development for Moana.
The screenplay for ‘Bucky’ was copyrighted in 2003, and takes place in a Polynesian village. It tells the story of a headstrong teenager on a journey to break a curse, where they meet spirit animals along the way, coming across a magical demigod with a signature hook, and a creature concealed within a mountain.
There are several more plot point similarities between Woodall’s screenplay and Moana, such as both beginning with scenes featuring turtles and characters going down a whirlpool ocean portal.
In 2003, Woodall presented materials for ‘Bucky’ to a Mandeville Films director of development called Jenny Marchick, who at the time had a first look deal with Disney. The suit alleges a “fraudulent enterprise that encompassed the theft, misappropriation and extensive exploitation of Woodall’s copyrighted materials”.
The suit claims Woodall gave Marchick a screenplay and trailer for ‘Bucky’ back in 2003 and was then asked for more materials over the next few years, including character designs, production plans, budgets, and storyboards.
Woodall claims he delivered “extremely large quantities of intellectual property and trade secrets” for projects titled ‘Bucky’and ‘Bucky the Wave Warrior’ and was told by Marchick she would get the film greenlit.
Woodall stated he received copyright protection for his ‘Bucky’materials in 2004 and the copyright was updated in 2014.
On summary judgment in the previous lawsuit brought by Woodall, Disney denied the allegations that the works are similar and said that no one involved in the creation of Moana saw Woodall’s materials.
“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,” wrote director Ron Clements in a declaration to the court.
To support arguments that Moana was not stolen from Woodall or ‘Bucky’, Disney has submitted documents regarding the origin and development of Moana, including story ideas, pitch materials, written research, travel journals, and scripts.
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