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Disney sued for allegedly plagiarising animator's idea for "Moana"

Animator claims his idea of a tattooed demigod with a giant hook is stolen
Animator claims his idea of a tattooed demigod with a giant hook is stolen
13 Jan - Disney has been sued for allegedly plagiarising another animator's story idea for "Moana."

Animator Buck Woodall filed a lawsuit on 10 January in California federal court, claiming Disney copied elements from his 2003 screenplay project "Bucky."

According to Woodall, he provided the "Bucky" screenplay and trailer to Jenny Marchick, who was then Mandeville Films' director of development and is now DreamWorks Animation's head of development for features.


Marchick allegedly requested additional materials to greenlight the film. At the time, Mandeville Films had a first-look deal with Disney and maintained offices at Disney's Burbank facilities.

Woodall claims "Moana" shares multiple similarities with "Bucky," including themes of Polynesian spiritual ancestors manifested as animals, a plot involving a symbolic necklace, a main character meeting a tattooed demigod with a giant hook, and a giant creature hidden within a mountain.
Woodall claims
Woodall claims "Moana" has many similarities with the screenplay he wrote
The complaint also notes that "Moana and her crew are sucked into a perilous whirlpool-like oceanic portal, another dramatic and unique device-imagery found in Plaintiff's materials that could not possibly have been developed by chance or without malicious intentions."

Disney has denied the allegations, with director Ron Clements stating he only learned about "Bucky" after the lawsuit was filed. Disney is submitting documentation of "Moana's" origin, including story ideas, scripts, pitch materials, written research, and travel journals.
Related Movies:
Moana 2 (28 Nov 2024)
Moana (24 Nov 2016)

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