Animator Buck Woodall has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against Disney, alleging that the storyline of Moana 2 closely mirrors his 2003 screenplay, Bucky. Woodall claims he submitted the screenplay to Mandeville Films, a Disney-affiliated company, and that key plot elements were replicated without his consent.
The lawsuit highlights striking resemblances, including:
- A Polynesian village setting
- A teenage girl on an oceanic quest
- A hook-wielding demigod
- A turtle-driven adventure
- A symbolic necklace central to the story
- A large creature concealed in a mountain
- A whirlpool-like portal
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Woodall is seeking 2.5% of the film’s gross revenue as damages.
This is not Woodall’s first legal battle with Disney. A prior lawsuit related to the original Moana was dismissed in 2024 for being filed too late. However, he claims the similarities in Moana 2 are too substantial to be coincidental.
Ron Clements, co-director of Moana, has denied the allegations, asserting that the team was unaware of Bucky until the lawsuit surfaced.
With the Moana franchise’s immense success, this case could have significant financial and creative repercussions for Disney. A settlement or a potential partnership with Woodall as an executive producer may also be on the table.
