A filmmaker has filed a lawsuit against Disney in regards to a script he worked on years ago.
Moana Lawsuit
January 16, 2025 –Buck Woodall filed the lawsuit on Friday, January 10th (here). As outlined in The New York Post, both Moana films reportedly have “breathtaking” similarities to his script, “Bucky The Wave Warrior.”
According to USA Today, Woodall claims that he is entitled to “at least $10 billion” in damages and 2.5% of gross revenue earned by Disney from the second film, which had the biggest Thanksgiving debut in Box Office history.
Woodall is reportedly seeking a jury trial for his lawsuit.
Bucky Woodall
As outlined in USA Today, Woodall claims that Jenny Marchick (director of development at Mandeville Films) asked him for more content regarding his script around 2003. Marchick informed Woodall that Mandeville Films had a deal with Disney that involved previewing ideas to the company for purchase. However, just before the release of the first Moana film in 2016, Marchick told Bucky that his script never “made it beyond her desk. ”
Nevertheless, there are claims circulating that both films allegedly share similar story elements. This includes a teenage protagonist making a journey across Polynesian waters. Additionally, other similarities include the inclusion of a demigod with tattoos and a giant hook.
The Rock Moana
Both Moana films were hits at the box office. For instance, the sequel earned $221 million in its opening five days (here). In addition, the films have been praised for their celebrations of other cultures, with one of the lead actors Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson having a Nova Scotian father and Samoan mother.
The popular actor has this to say about the importance of Polynesia representation. “Of everything that I love about Moana, the thing that I love most is my daughters, all three of my daughters, see themselves in Moana. And I think this idea of emboldening and empowering our young women and how important that is.” (here)
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Published by HOLR Magazine
Image Credit: @disneyanimation