The $10 Billion ‘Moana’ Lawsuit Has Been Swiftly Dismissed By a Los Angeles Jury
Just two weeks after the trial began, a jury has dismissed animator/writer Buck Woodall’s lawsuit against Disney, alleging that the studio stole the idea for Moana from him.
As a recap, Woodall filed a $10 billion lawsuit last month, asserting that Disney borrowed key elements from his screenplay for an animated film called Bucky the Surfer Boy to develop the hugely successful Moana franchise.
In his lawsuit, Woodall stated that he originally presented his screenplay and a trailer for Bucky to Jenny Marchick, the former director of development at Mandeville Films. At the time, Mandeville had a first-look deal with Disney and operated out of Burbank.
Bucky the Surfer Boy. Photo: Cartoon Brew
Marchick, Woodall says, subsequently asked for further materials, including character designs, production plans, and storyboards.
The Similarities Between the Two
The lawsuit pointed out several similarities between Bucky and Moana, including the protagonist’s journey beginning with a turtle, the presence of a symbolic necklace, and a demigod decorated with a giant hook and tattoos. Additionally, both heroes face ancient spirits that take the form of animals.
Finally, Bucky and Moana are both set in an ancient Polynesian village and feature teenage heroes who defy their parents to embark on an adventure to save their homes.
Moana. Photo: Disney
“Disney’s ‘Moana’ was produced in the wake of Woodall’s delivery to the Defendants of virtually all constituent parts necessary for its development and production after more than 17 years of inspiration and work on his animated film project,” the complaint read.
The Suit Has Been Dismissed
After deliberating for just over two hours, a Los Angeles federal jury determined that the creators of Moana never had access to Woodall’s Bucky concept and thus could not have stolen the story.
During the trial, Marchick testified that she never showed Woodall’s concepts to anyone at Disney. Once the jury determined that Disney had never seen the Bucky materials, any similarities between the two projects became moot.
‘Moana 2’. Photo: Disney
“Obviously we’re disappointed,” Woodall’s attorney Gustavo Lage said after the verdict. “We’re going to review our options and think about the best path forward.”
For their part, Disney asserted that Moana was the “crowning achievement” of animation legends John Musker and Ron Clements.
Musker and Clements. Photo: Rotoscopers
“We are incredibly proud of the collective work that went into the making of Moana and are pleased that the jury found it had nothing to do with Plaintiff’s works,” Disney said in a statement.
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