Company faces a lawsuit worth almost 10 billion euros for alleged copyright infringement in the Vaiana franchise.
Disney is embroiled in a legal battle over allegations that its “Moana” (in Portuguese, “Vaiana”) franchise — including the blockbuster sequel “Vaiana 2,” which broke records in Portugal — plagiarized elements of a decades-old script. from the animator Buck Woodall.
Woodall, who brought the lawsuit, alleges that Disney used parts of his project, “Bucky,” without authorization. Asks for 10 billion dollars (9.7 billion euros) compensation to the company founded by Walt Disney.
The lawsuit accuses Disney and the former director of development at Mandeville Films, Jenny Marchick, of misappropriating elements of Woodall’s work developed as early as 2003 and protected by copyright.
The similarities in the scripts
Woodall claims that his script and trailer for “Bucky” featured a protagonist who encounters a tattooed demigod with a magic hook and a creature hidden in a mountain — parallels that, he claims, are evident in “Vaiana”.
Woodall further alleges that Marchick, now director of feature film development at DreamWorks Animation, requested detailed production materials, including storyboards and character designs, under the guise of helping the project.fraudulent enterprise that encompassed theft, misappropriation and the extensive exploitation of Woodall’s copyrighted materials,” says the accuser.
The accuser alleges that these materials were then passed on to Disney, leading to the creation of the “Vaiana” films.
The lawsuit identifies numerous similarities between “Bucky” and “Vaiana 2,” including common scenarios in ancient Polynesia, themes of teenagers saving their communities, animal companions, and narrative elements like a whirlpool portal.
According to the complaint, these features could not have been developed independently.
“Disney’s Vaiana was produced after Woodall delivered to Defendants virtually 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,” says the lawsuit, cited by .
Disney denies accusations
Woodall, who initially received copyright protection for “Bucky” in 2004 and updated it in 2014, is also seeking an injunction to prevent future use of his work.
A Disney denied previously the allegations, stating that none of the individuals involved in the development of “Vaiana” had knowledge of Woodall’s project.
Director Ron Clements filed a statement during a previous lawsuit denying any connection to “Bucky.” Disney also provided documentation describing the independent development of “Vaiana.”
“Vaiana 2” reopened cold case
This isn’t Woodall’s first attempt to sue Disney. A previous lawsuit relating to the release of “Vaiana” in 2016 was archivedwith a US district judge ruling that the complaint was filed too late.
However, with “Vaiana 2” recently surpassing $989.8 million in global box office revenueWoodall has renewed his legal efforts, now seeking 2.5% of the gross earnings of the franchise.
Both films broke box office records
“Vaiana” has had enormous success since its debut in 2016, becoming the most streamed film of the last five yearswith more than a billion hours of viewing recorded.
Its sequel, “Vaiana 2,” continues to prosper commercially and is an awards contender, although its prospects may be affected by the ongoing court case. THE Controversy may prevent awards from being made as an Oscar nomination, as the Academy often avoids recognizing films embroiled in legal disputes.
