Why Disney is being sued over its $1.6 billion franchise

Warning: This text incorporates minor spoilers for Moana 2!

Simply earlier than the 2025 Oscars, Disney was hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Moana 2elevating questions in regards to the franchise that grossed $1.6 billion on the field workplace. After a profitable season in theaters Moana 2 it rapidly grew to become one of the crucial profitable Disney animated movies of all time. The movie was shortlisted for a number of awards all through the 2025 season, however Disney could now be in scorching water for Moana 2 as a result of a screenwriter named Buck Woodall filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in 2025 that might value them a fairly penny if profitable.

THE Moana 2 The copyright lawsuit is predicated on the declare that former Mandeville Movies director of growth Jenny Marchick obtained the movie's script, trailer, character designs, manufacturing plans and storyboards Buckywritten by Buck Woodwall, which she reportedly handed on to Disney, in accordance with the preliminary Mandeville Movies deal. Authorized paperwork state that Disney used these supplies to create Moana and Moana 2which allegedly violates Woodwall's copyright. The 2025 lawsuit, which incorporates detailed claims in regards to the similarities and desired final result, might have detrimental impacts for Disney transferring ahead.

Moana's supposed similarities to Buck Woodall's Bucky defined

Moana 2 course of claims greater than two dozen similarities

The method Woodall x Disneywhich is on the market via Scribdclaims that Moana franchise infringed upon Buck Woodall's copyright for the Bucky pre-production supplies. They declare that Moana and Moana 2 incorporates these similarities with Bucky:

• They inform the story of an adolescent who goes in opposition to his mother and father' needs by embarking on a journey throughout the ocean to avoid wasting a Polynesian island.

• They discuss with the birthright of the Polynesian folks to entry the ocean.

• The primary characters study historical Polynesian tradition whereas touring at sea.

• They use the Polynesian perception that the spirits of ancestors manifest as animals that shield and information their descendants.

• The protagonist's house is an historical Polynesian village with “inhabitants weaving baskets, fishing, beating taro and telling tales of historical Polynesia.”

• The opening sequence features a flight to an island.

• The opening sequence contains the principle character as a child climbing into the water on a Polynesian seaside.

• The primary characters' journey begins with a turtle.

• They've a symbolic necklace that performs a task within the story.

• They embrace wayfinding, the Polynesian apply of navigating the ocean utilizing the celebs and different pure indicators.

• The primary characters come throughout a tattooed demigod who carries an enormous hook.

• The demigods are launched right into a darkish cave.

• The demigods can rework into completely different animals, together with a Polynesian falcon and a shark.

• Each have characters that rework into bugs.

• The primary characters survive a storm whereas crusing.

• The primary characters face a “military of warrior characters with small armor.”

• The primary characters come throughout a whirlpool within the ocean.

• Each have an enormous creature hidden in a mountain that takes the form of the mountain when laid down.

• They finish with the teenage hero returning to his village and his mother and father, having prevented the island's destruction.

• They've related animated visible representations, comparable to Te Fiti's face, the island's location and environment.

• The primary characters embark on a journey in a canoe.

• The primary characters journey via time. (Moana via visions of the longer term and previous.)

• The primary character travels throughout the ocean with a crew.

• The primary characters' crew on the canoe contains animal mates.

• The primary character searches for a mysterious island.

• The primary characters attempt to break a curse.

• They embrace the characters being transported via a “harmful whirlpool-like ocean portal.”

• The primary character climbs a mountain.

• They embrace Polynesian mythological figures.

• The ocean is described as a sentient spirit.

To win the case, Buck Woodall's authorized group might want to show that he owned the copyright to Bucky and that Disney willfully infringed copyright for monetary or business acquire. Proving that Woodall owns the copyright will probably be comparatively easy, however infringement will probably be harder.

In a copyright case, the parallels can't be imprecise or coincidental; they've to achieve the extent of “substantial similarity”. Whereas there are some checks to assist outline this threshold, a lot of them boil right down to subjective judgment. Disney will even seemingly defend the scènes à faire doctrinea rule that claims supplies can't be protected if the style or setting requires it. The Polynesian mythology used can't be copyrighted both, additional complicating issues.

What Woodall Is Requesting within the Moana 2 Course of

Woodall desires cash and injunctions in opposition to Disney and all named defendants

THE Moana 2 the lawsuit will probably be expensive to Disney if Woodall wins and the decide provides him every little thing he's asking for. Based on courtroom paperwork, Woodall is looking for a declaration of infringement, financial compensation and injunctive reduction in opposition to Disney and all different named defendants. Probably the most primary factor they ask for is a authorized declaration that Disney has violated Buck Woodall's copyright.

Based on the case paperwork, Woodall is asking for at least $5 billion or 2.5% of gross income, whichever is bigger, in compensatory damages, with a minimal of US$10 billion for complete damages. This quantity is said within the lawsuit as the quantity the defendants made in income based mostly on the franchise, which is curious given the quantity Moana and Moana 2 grossed on the field workplace.

The newest request is that Disney and all named defendants obtain two speedy injunctions, both momentary or everlasting. First, they'd have an injunction stopping them from reproducing, distributing, or creating different supplies based mostly on copyright-infringing movies. Second, they'd have an injunction in opposition to persevering with to violate copyright.

Why wasn't Disney sued over the unique Moana?

Disney confronted a lawsuit over Moana, nevertheless it was rejected

Whereas most of Woodall's statements discuss with the unique Moana movie, the query naturally arises as to why he didn't sue Disney for the primary one. It seems that Woodall tried to sue Disney within the case Buck G Woodall v.and case discovery is on the market at Court Listener for anybody who desires to learn the 222-page doc. Nonetheless, the case was finally dismissed as a result of it was filed too late after the movie's launch. This doesn't imply that the earlier case is ineffective.

Based on the 2025 lawsuit, Jenny Marchick admitted underneath oath that she did in truth ship the presentation bundle (the deadline for all beforehand listed supplies) to an individual who labored at “Disney Animation TV.” It will function a key aspect within the new case as a result of Woodall's authorized illustration has to show that the corporate had entry to the copyrighted supplies in order that they may knowingly infringe the copyright.

Did Disney reply to the lawsuit?

Disney has not supplied an official assertion relating to the 2025 lawsuit

Though it's within the information, Disney has not made any public feedback about Woodall's lawsuit in 2025. Nonetheless, your place on the matter will seemingly be much like your assertion within the first lawsuit. Director Ron Clements mentioned in a written assertion to the courtroom: "Moana was not impressed by or based mostly in any means on [Woodall] or his venture 'Bucky', which I first grew to become conscious of after the lawsuit was filed" (via The Hollywood Reporter). Solely time will inform in the event that they think about a separate assertion obligatory.

What does the Moana 2 lawsuit imply for Disney?

A short lived injunction might halt future Moana tasks

The affect of Moana 2 The method will differ significantly relying on the progress of the case. Based mostly on earlier lawsuits in opposition to Disney, just like the Pirates of the Caribbean copyright lawsuit, there's an excellent likelihood they may settle out of courtroom if there's a robust sufficient declare. There may be additionally the likelihood {that a} decide might dismiss the case moderately than ship it to a jury trial if there may be not a robust sufficient allegation of copyright infringement. Relying on the progress, it might take years earlier than there's a correct decision to the case.

If the decide points an injunction in opposition to Disney, his plan for future Moana movies – together with the live-action 2026 Moana movie, the Maui TV present and a possible Moana 3 – may very well be stopped. The 2025 Oscars can also keep away from nominating Moana 2 to keep away from a future scandal. If his lawsuit is profitable, Woodall may very well be employed for future movies or obtain some sort of credit score. The more than likely final result, nonetheless, is that Disney emerges unscathed, persevering with with the Moana franchise as deliberate.

Sources: Scribd, Court Listenerand The Hollywood Reporter