‘Moana’ copyright dispute ends, new lawsuit targets sequel

After a five-year legal battle, Disney has emerged victorious in a copyright trial concerning the origins of its hit animated film ‘Moana.’

According to Deadline, a Los Angeles jury, on Monday ruled in favour of the entertainment giant, concluding that the primary creators of ‘Moana’, John Musker and Ron Clements, had no knowledge of Buck Woodall’s earlier work ‘Bucky the Surfer Boy’ while developing the 2016 film.

However, the legal saga is far from over, as Woodall still pursues a separate lawsuit against Disney over alleged copyright infringement related to the ‘Moana’ sequel, ‘Moana 2’, which has grossed over USD 1 billion globally. The case centered around allegations that Disney had lifted elements from Woodall’s ‘Bucky the Surfer Boy’, including its Hawaii setting and Polynesian mythological themes.

According to Deadline, Woodall claimed that his distant relative, Jenny Marchick, a former director at Mandeville Films, had shared his copyrighted material with Disney, leading to the creation of ‘Moana’.

However, the jury found that Musker, Clements, and other key figures involved in ‘Moana’ had never seen or heard of Woodall’s work. (ANI)

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