Washington [US], March 11: Disney has won a legal victory after a five-year battle concerning allegations that its 2016 animated film Moana had plagiarized elements from Buck Woodall’s earlier work, Bucky the Surfer Boy. On Monday, a Los Angeles jury sided with Disney, ruling that the film’s primary creators, John Musker and Ron Clements, were not aware of Woodall’s project during the development of Moana.
The legal dispute revolved around Woodall’s claims that Disney had taken inspiration from his work, particularly in terms of the film’s Hawaii setting and Polynesian mythological themes. Woodall also alleged that his distant relative, Jenny Marchick, a former director at Mandeville Films, had shared his copyrighted material with Disney, which ultimately led to the creation of Moana.
However, the jury found no merit in these claims, concluding that Musker, Clements, and other key figures involved in Moana had never seen or heard of Woodall’s work. Disney spokespersons expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating, “We are incredibly proud of the collective work that went into the making of Moana and are pleased that the jury found it had nothing to do with Plaintiff’s works.” They emphasized that the decision reaffirmed the originality of the Moana project.
Despite this setback, Woodall’s legal team has not given up. They have filed a separate lawsuit targeting Moana 2, the film’s sequel, which has grossed over USD 1 billion worldwide. The new lawsuit claims that Disney knowingly used elements from Bucky the Surfer Boy in the sequel and seeks USD 10 billion in damages, roughly 2.5 percent of the sequel’s global earnings. Woodall’s team also accuses Marchick of conspiring to profit from his intellectual property, leading to the creation of the Moana franchise.
In response, Marchick, now the head of development at DreamWorks Animation, denied any involvement in the alleged theft. She testified that she had no recollection of sharing Woodall’s materials with Disney, despite receiving updates from him over the years. Marchick also mentioned facilitating an interview for Woodall with a Disney Channel animator, though it did not lead to any job offer.
Although Disney’s victory in the initial trial appears to have settled the case concerning the original Moana, the ongoing legal battle over the sequel remains unresolved. No trial date has been set for the Moana 2 lawsuit, but experts expect Disney to seek a dismissal, referencing the favorable verdict in the first case.