'Moana 2' hits theaters amidst lawsuit alleging Disney copied original idea

With just over a week until the Academy Awards nominations are announced, Disney has been sued for allegedly duplicating the idea for Moana and its sequel.

In a lawsuit filed on Friday in California federal court, animator Buck Woodall claims Disney stole components of a screenplay he wrote for the animated picture Bucky. 

Both works, set in an ancient Polynesian town, involve youngsters who resist their parents and embark on risky journeys to defend their homes, encountering spirits manifesting as animals.

The filing of Friday's case follows a court finding in November that Disney is not required to face an identical copyright claim launched by Woodall over Moana because he filed too late. The release of Moana 2 enabled him to pursue additional legal action.

In that instance, the court determined that if the statute of limitations hadn't expired, a jury should evaluate whether the works in question were substantially comparable. It also concluded that someone at Disney Animation TV may have viewed copyrighted materials for Bucky before the development of Moana, which was released in 2016.

“There is a disputed issue of genuine fact regarding substantial similarity and striking similarity between the parties’ works,” wrote U.S. District Judge Consuelo Marshall in the order.

Moana 2, which may receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Picture, started at the box office with $224.2 million, breaking multiple records on its way to the largest five-day opening in history. The original made at least $687 million globally.

The lawsuit highlights parallels between Moana and Bucky. For example, both honour a reoccurring element in Polynesian belief: spiritual ancestors manifesting as animals. 

Other similarities include the protagonist's adventure beginning with a turtle, a plot involving a symbolic necklace, a main character who meets a demigod wearing a big hook and tattoos, and a giant creature hidden within a mountain.

“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,” states the complaint.