Disney has been hit with a copyright lawsuit alleging that the popular Moana franchise was lifted from a decades-old screenplay without the writer's consent. The writer is now suing for $10billion in a new copyright claim.

Moana 2, expected to receive an Academy Award nomination for best animated feature, sees the Polynesian teenager reunite with Maui for another ocean adventure after she receives an unexpected call from her wave finding ancestors. The film earned $57.5m on its opening day and has already grossed $989.8m worldwide.

Woodall seeks 2.5% of Moana 2’s gross revenue, or roughly $10 billion, and a court order to prevent further infringement. Since its release in November 2024, Moana 2 has grossed $989 million worldwide.

Animator Buck Woodall is suing Disney for $10 billion after he said he shared film materials in 2003 while working on a development deal with the company.

Animator Buck Woodall claims that film producer Jenny Marchick fed his original idea for a film titled 'Bucky' to Disney, which ultimately produced 'Moana' in 2016

On Friday, animator Buck Woodall sought legal action against Disney, accusing the company of copying components of an animated film he wrote, “Bucky” and using them to create the Moana movies.

Disney has been sued for a staggering amount of 10 billion dollars by an animator who claimed that they stole his idea for Moana franchise. Buck Woodall filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company in California federal court on Friday for lifting several elements from his decades-old screenplay for an animated film titled Bucky without his consent.

Buck Woodall claimed in his lawsuit that Disney's Moana franchise exhibits “breathtaking” similarities to his script for Bucky the Wave Warrior