Disney’s Legal Battle: The Complex ‘Moana 2’ Lawsuit Explained
Despite getting conflicting reviews, ‘Moana 2’ has been a huge hit for Disney since its November 2024 debut, attracting large crowds. Though its success hasn’t been without controversy, the movie’s popularity has raised questions about potential sequels. The legal dispute has become much more complicated because a lawsuit has been brought against the entire ‘Moana’ series, not just ‘Moana 2’.
Writer and animator Buck Woodall has filed a lawsuit against Disney, alleging that the studio plagiarized his ‘Bucky’ project. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Woodall is suing for $10 million in damages for allegedly stealing intellectual property. Similar to ‘Moana 2’, his concept is based on Polynesian culture and centres on a youngster who opposes their parents, travels the oceans, and meets gods. Woodall contends that he proposed ‘Bucky’ years before the first ‘Moana’ film came out, proving that these parallels are not accidental.
Image Courtesy: People
This case is not brand-new. In November 2024, Woodall made a first attempt to sue Disney for the first ‘Moana’ movie, but the lawsuit was dropped since it was filed too late. But now that ‘Moana 2’ is available in theatres, he can make his claim once more. He claims that the problem began in 2003 when he gave Jenny Marchick, a production executive at Mandeville Films at the time, a screenplay and trailer for ‘Bucky’, which had a first-look agreement with Disney. According to Woodall, Marchick expressed interest in his concept and said she could assist in getting it approved.
Disney, meanwhile, has denied any misconduct, claiming that none of the people who created ‘Moana’ had ever seen Woodall’s work. In a court affidavit, director Ron Clements even claimed that ‘Bucky’ had no impact over ‘Moana’ and that he first learned of Woodall’s project after the case was brought.
Image Courtesy: People
The outcome is still up in the air as the case develops. Disney has mostly said nothing about Woodall’s demand for 2.5 per cent of the movie’s profits. As this is going on, ‘Moana 2’ is still dominating the box office and is one of the highest-grossing movies ever made.
–Farheen Ali
