A Writer Says Disney Stole His Idea for MOANA. The Jury Ruled …
By Movieguide® Contributor
A jury ruled in Disney’s favor this week, citing that the megamedia giant did not steal a writer’s idea for MOANA.
“We are incredibly proud of the collective work that went into the making of Moana and are pleased that the jury found it had nothing to do with the Plaintiff’s works,” a Disney spokesperson told multiple outlets in a statement.
The jury determined that the Disney writers and animators never had access to writer Buck Woodall’s story, “Bucky the Surfer Boy,” about a young surfer in Hawaii.
As Movieguide® previously reported:
Related: MOANA 2 Breaks Records: Most Watched Disney Animated Trailer at 178m Views
Woodall previously attempted to file a lawsuit against the original MOANA but the statute of limitations on copyright infringement had already passed. Now, his lawsuit is technically against the sequel but includes many references to stolen ideas present in the first movie as well.
“They had no idea about Bucky. They had never seen it, never heard of it,” defense attorney Moez Kaba said.
Woodall said he gave his story outline to Jenny Marchick, the stepsister of his brother’s wife. Marchick worked for Mandeville Films, which had a first-look deal with Disney, as well as offices on the Burbank, Calif., Disney lot at the time of Marchick’s dealings with Woodall.
Marchick testified she kept the information to herself and did not pass the story along.
Woodall’s attorney Gustavo Lage said, “Obviously we’re disappointed. At the present time, we are weighing our options to determine the best path forward regarding the legal remedies available to our client.”
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