Los Angeles, California – In a copyright trial involving Disney’s film “Moana,” a jury sided with the company on Monday, clearing them of an infringement lawsuit brought by screenwriter Buck Woodall.
Woodall, based in New Mexico, filed the suit in 2020, claiming that “Moana” was based on his work titled “Bucky the Wave Warrior.” He alleged similarities between the two projects, pointing out elements like teenagers defying parental orders to embark on a risky journey to save a Polynesian island, navigation by stars, a demigod with tattoos, and surviving a storm at sea.
During the two-week trial in federal court, the jury unanimously found that Disney did not have access to Woodall’s 2011 screenplay or earlier treatments. As a result, they did not have to address whether the two works were similar or not.
Woodall claimed that in 2004, he pitched his project to a relative who worked as an assistant at a live-action production company on the Disney lot. However, Disney contended that “Moana” was independently created years later, emphasizing key differences between the two works, such as the characters’ backgrounds and motivations.
In November, a judge ruled that most of Woodall’s claims were barred by the statute of limitations due to the film’s 2016 release. However, a claim against Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney’s home video subsidiary, survived because of the DVD release in 2017.
After the jury’s verdict, Disney’s lawyers declined to comment, while Woodall’s lawyer expressed disappointment and stated that they would explore their options moving forward. Woodall later filed another lawsuit in January regarding “Moana 2” allegedly infringing on his screenplay, with that case still pending.