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Topics: Celebrity, US News, TV And Film, Money
Rhianna Benson
An animator is seeking multiple-billion dollars worth of damages from Disney after accusing Moana 2 producers of stealing some of his ideas.
Buck Woodall filed his lawsuit in a California federal court this week - two months after the sequel to the 2016 Polynesian mythology inspired hit landed in cinemas.
Despite the big-name movie - which stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho - expected to receive an Academy Award nomination at the upcoming Oscars, having already grossed $990 million worldwide, the film's success has been somewhat tainted this week.
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That's because creators of the production - which takes place three years since the events of the first film, following the titular princess on another voyage to discover new islands - have been slapped with a $10 billion lawsuit.
In newly-filed documents, American artist Buck Woodall alleges that several elements of a screenplay he previously worked on - titled Bucky - were used as inspiration for Moana and Moana 2, but weren't credited to him.
The filing - this week obtained by The Hollywood Reporter - claims a 'fraudulent enterprise that encompassed the theft, misappropriation and extensive exploitation of Woodall’s copyrighted materials' on part of former Mandeville Films development director Jenny Marchick.
Marchick previously worked closely alongside Woodall, but now works as head of development at DreamWorks Animation.
Woodall alleges she passed his ideas on to Disney, who Mandeville had a 'first look' deal with.
Woodall alleges he shared the plans for his own animation with Marchick from 2003, which included character designs, production plans, budgets, and storyboards.
Claiming he handed Marchick 'extremely large quantities of intellectual property and trade secrets', he added in the lawsuit that she previously promised to have his idea greenlit.
The suit continues by saying: "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."
Moana 2 tells the story of much-loved teenage wayfarer, who, with the help demi-god Maui and a whole crew, navigates the seas whilst avoiding dreaded creatures and obstacles.
Woodall's lawsuit also compares Moana and Moana 2 with his own project, Bucky, both of which are set in an ancient Polynesian village, tell the story of a teenager on a dangerous voyage to save their land, meeting with ancient spirits who manifest as animals on their way.
Woodall claims Moana 2 copies even more of his ideas that the original film, highlighting elements such as Moana being accompanied by a pig and a rooster, Moana's symbolic necklace, and her mission to break a curse.
"Moana and her crew are sucked into a perilous whirlpool-like oceanic portal, another dramatic and unique device-imagery found in Plaintiffs materials that could not possibly have been developed by chance or without malicious intentions," the filing continues.
The animator added that Bucky received copyright protection in 2004, which was updated in 2014.
Woodall therefore accused Marchick of using legal loopholes to hand Disney his materials, and he's now seeking damages worth 2.5 percent of the film's gross revenue, as well as an order banning further infringement of his copyrighted material.
Tyla has contacted Disney for comment.