Home Entertainment Disney sued by animator claiming the studio stole his screenplay for Moana and its blockbuster sequel

Disney sued by animator claiming the studio stole his screenplay for Moana and its blockbuster sequel

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Disney is being sued by animator Buck Woodall for allegedly stealing the idea for Moana 2, as well as the 2016 original; Moana 2 still

Disney is being sued by animator Buck Woodall for allegedly stealing the idea for Moana 2, as well as the 2016 original.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Jan. 10, Woodall claims the company stole parts of a script he wrote for an animated film titled Bucky for Moana 2.

He claims that both his script and that of the animated film take place in a historic Polynesian village and focus on young adults seeking to save their homes while encountering spirit animals along the way.

The lawsuit comes after a court hearing in November cleared the studio from an identical lawsuit filed by Woodall over the first Moana movie because it had waited too long to file its lawsuit, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

However, the release of Moana 2 gave him the opportunity to take legal action again.

In the initial case, the court stated that a jury would have to decide whether the projects are significantly similar.

Disney is being sued by animator Buck Woodall for allegedly stealing the idea for Moana 2, as well as the 2016 original; Moana 2 still

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Jan. 10, Woodall claims the company stole parts of a script he wrote for an animated film titled Bucky.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Jan. 10, Woodall claims the company stole parts of a script he wrote for an animated film titled Bucky.

He also concluded that someone at Disney Animation TV might have seen Bucky’s copyrighted materials before development on Moana began.

According to THR, US District Judge Consuelo Marshall wrote in the order: “There is a disputed issue of genuine fact regarding the substantial and striking similarity between the parties.”

Since 2003, Woodall says he presented the script and a trailer for Bucky to Jenny Marchick, former director of development at Mandeville Films.

According to the animator, Marchick, who is now the Head of Feature Development at DreamWorks Animation, requested materials such as production plans, character designs and storyboards.

As he recalls, the executive assured him in particular that she could give the film the green light.

The complaint details that Mandeville had a first-look agreement with Disney, along with offices at its Burbank studio.

The legal filing highlights parallels between Moana and Bucky, including the fact that they both share the theme of acknowledging the Polynesian belief that ancestors can manifest as animals.

Furthermore, each protagonist of the respective scripts has a narrative that begins with a turtle, as well as a plot with a significant and symbolic necklace.

The lawsuit comes after a court hearing in November cleared the studio from an identical lawsuit filed by Woodall over the first Moana movie, as she had waited too long to file her lawsuit, according to The Hollywood Reporter; still forms Moana 2

The lawsuit comes after a court hearing in November cleared the studio from an identical lawsuit filed by Woodall over the first Moana movie, as she had waited too long to file her lawsuit, according to The Hollywood Reporter; still forms Moana 2

The release of Moana 2 has given Woodall the ability to take legal action again after his previous filing was deemed beyond the statute of limitations.

The release of Moana 2 has given Woodall the ability to take legal action again after his previous filing was deemed past the statute of limitations.

According to the lawsuit: “Disney’s Moana was produced by Woodall’s delivery to Defendants of substantially all of the constituent parts necessary for its development and production after more than 17 years of inspiration and work on his animated film project. “.

It goes on to state that “Moana and her crew are sucked into a dangerous whirlpool-like ocean portal, another dramatic and unique device: images found in plaintiffs’ materials that could not have been developed by chance or without malicious intent.”

Woodall is seeking damages in the amount of a staggering $10 billion, or the equivalent of 2.5 percent of Moana’s gross revenue, as well as an injunction preventing continued infringement of her copyrights.

In Buck’s earlier lawsuit, Disney countered the allegations and claimed that no one involved in the development and execution of Moana saw Woodall’s materials.

“Moana was in no way inspired or based on (Woodall) or his ‘Bucky’ project, which I first learned about after this lawsuit was filed,” Moana director Ron Clements said in a statement. judicial.

Disney also provided documents including story ideas, presentation materials, written research, travelogues and scripts related to the film’s conception.

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