Walt Disney Company sued for $10 billion over ‘Moana’ films

The Walt Disney Company is facing a 10-billion-dollar lawsuit from an animator claiming the media giant copied his ideas for the “Moana” films.

Buck Woodall filed the lawsuit with the California federal court over copyright elements within the animated films “Moana” and “Moana 2″ on Friday, Jan. 10.

The lawsuit claims that Woodall first pitched a screenplay and trailer called “Bucky” to Jenny Marchick, former development director of Mandeville Films and current head of development at DreamWorks Animation back in October of 2003 with the promise that items would be developed.

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“Marchick was employed at the time by Mandeville,16 which had a first look deal with Disney,” according to the suit.

A first-look deal is a favored and highly sought-after relationship from the standpoint of an independent producer for the possible production and distribution of a theatrical feature product by a major studio.

According to the suit, “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 suit highlights the similarities that caused a rise in suspicion for Woodall.

“Both ‘Bucky’ and ‘Moana’ have as the backdrop an ancient Polynesian village with its inhabitants weaving baskets, fishing, pounding taro, and telling stories of ancient Polynesia and both ‘Bucky’ and ‘Moana’ comprise an opening scene which is a flight into an island,” just naming two from the suit.

“His project was inspired by Woodall’s unique exposure to Polynesian culture --including living on Hanalei Bay for approximately a decade --as well as his expenditure of more than $500,000.00 in personally creating, writing and developing a theatrical motion picture package associated with Bucky,” the document states.

This was not the first time Woodall and Disney had seen each other.

The lawsuit filed on Friday follows a November court ruling that stated Disney was not obligated to address a similar copyright claim from Woodall concerning “Moana”, since his initial filing was submitted too late. However, the release of “Moana 2″ has now provided him with the opportunity to initiate new legal proceedings.

The full lawsuit has been attached to this story and can be read in the media viewer below.