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The $10 Billion Wave: 5 Shocking Details Of The Moana 2 Copyright Lawsuit

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The Walt Disney Company is once again facing massive legal headwinds, with the *Moana* franchise at the center of a new, high-stakes copyright infringement lawsuit concerning its sequel, *Moana 2*. This ongoing legal battle, which has captured the attention of Hollywood and intellectual property (IP) lawyers worldwide, alleges that the animated blockbuster was plagiarized from an original, decades-old screenplay. As of December 2025, the case is active in California federal court, with the plaintiff seeking a staggering $10 billion in damages, reviving a complex dispute that Disney previously thought it had put to rest. The current legal action is a direct challenge to Disney’s creative process and its handling of intellectual property submissions. The lawsuit claims that the core concept, characters, and plot elements of both *Moana* and the recently released *Moana 2* were lifted from the plaintiff’s work, creating a significant legal headache for the studio as the sequel continues its theatrical run. Understanding the nuances of this case requires a look back at the original claims and how the release of *Moana 2* reignited the entire controversy.

The Animator Behind the $10 Billion Claim: Buck Woodall's Profile

Buck Woodall is an animator and writer who has been working in the industry for years, though he is now most famous for his protracted legal battles with The Walt Disney Company. His career spans various projects, but his most significant work, and the one at the heart of this dispute, is his original animated film concept.
  • Full Name: Buck Woodall
  • Occupation: Animator, Writer, and Filmmaker
  • Key Work in Dispute: An original screenplay and animated concept titled *Bucky* or *Bucky the Wave Warrior*
  • Initial Lawsuit Filing: Filed a lawsuit against Disney over the original *Moana* (2016) in the early 2020s.
  • Current Lawsuit Filing: Filed a new, or revived, copyright infringement suit in January 2025, specifically targeting *Moana 2*.
  • Allegation: Disney plagiarized his original script and materials for the *Moana* franchise.
  • Damages Sought: A massive $10 billion or 2.5% of the gross revenues, whichever is higher, making it one of the largest copyright claims against a major studio.
Woodall's claim hinges on the assertion that his materials were submitted to individuals connected to Disney’s development pipeline years before *Moana* was conceived. This is a crucial element in any intellectual property dispute, as the plaintiff must prove both access to the original work and substantial similarity between the two creations.

The Core Allegations: Bucky the Wave Warrior vs. Moana 2

The legal documents filed in the California federal court lay out a detailed case of alleged copyright infringement, arguing that the similarities between Woodall's work, *Bucky the Wave Warrior*, and the *Moana* franchise are too numerous and specific to be coincidental.

The Original Concept: *Bucky the Wave Warrior*

Woodall's original animated film concept, *Bucky the Wave Warrior*, reportedly centers on a young, adventurous protagonist from a Pacific Island culture. According to the lawsuit, the script and accompanying trailer materials included a number of specific plot points, character archetypes, and thematic elements that closely mirror the Disney film. The plaintiff asserts that his materials were shared with a former development director at Mandeville Films, Jenny Marchick, who had connections to The Walt Disney Company. This alleged chain of access is fundamental to overcoming Disney's typical defense in such cases.

How *Moana 2* Reignited the Lawsuit

The release of the sequel, *Moana 2*, in November 2024 served as the catalyst for Woodall's new legal action. While a jury previously dismissed a portion of his claims against the original *Moana*, the animator contends that *Moana 2* further utilized elements from his original script that were not as prominent in the first film. The Moana 2 copyright lawsuit claims the sequel's plot progression and new characters drew even more heavily from the *Bucky* screenplay. This strategy allows Woodall to bypass previous legal roadblocks, as the statute of limitations resets with a new alleged act of infringement, such as the release of a new film in the franchise. The plagiarism claims are now specifically tied to the creative decisions made in the latest installment, *Moana 2*.

The $10 Billion Demand and Disney’s Defense Strategy

The scale of the damages sought—$10 billion—is a clear indication of the seriousness of the legal troubles facing the entertainment giant. This figure is not arbitrary; it represents either a massive punitive measure or a calculated percentage of the franchise’s global revenue, reflecting the massive box office success of the original *Moana* and the anticipated success of *Moana 2*.

The Financial Stakes

A $10 billion judgment would be catastrophic for any studio, even one as large as Disney. The claim for 2.5% of the gross is an alternative calculation, tying the compensation directly to the commercial exploitation of the alleged infringement. This financial pressure is designed to force a settlement or compel Disney to reveal internal development documents. The core of the copyright infringement argument is that Disney knowingly benefited from Woodall’s creative work without providing compensation or credit.

Disney's Standard Counter-Argument

In response to the original *Moana* lawsuit, Disney’s defense was consistent with its strategy in many similar cases: denying access. The company argued that the development team for *Moana* had never seen Woodall’s materials, making the alleged plagiarism impossible. * Denial of Access: Claiming that no one involved in the creation of *Moana* or *Moana 2* had ever viewed the *Bucky the Wave Warrior* screenplay or trailer. * Independent Creation: Asserting that the similarities are merely coincidental, stemming from the use of common themes, tropes, and cultural inspiration from Polynesian mythology. * Dismissal of Previous Claims: Highlighting the fact that a jury already sided with Disney in the first lawsuit, although the new case focuses specifically on the sequel's fresh round of alleged copying. As the case progresses through the California federal court system, legal experts anticipate a fierce battle over the definition of "substantial similarity" and the strength of Woodall's evidence of access. This Moana intellectual property dispute serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and high risks inherent in Hollywood's creative development process. The outcome of this $10 billion lawsuit could set a significant precedent for how major studios handle unsolicited material and future plagiarism claims in the animated film industry.
The $10 Billion Wave: 5 Shocking Details of the Moana 2 Copyright Lawsuit
moana 2 copyright lawsuit
moana 2 copyright lawsuit

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