Vaiana 2 rides the wave of success. Still showing in cinemas, the second part of the adventures of the young Oceanian heroine is a hit, with more than 7.5 million admissions in France, which is already almost 2 million more spectators than the first opus (5.6 million entries).
However, Disney studios are navigating troubled waters with a charge of plagiarism by director Buck Woodall. We'll explain it to you.
“Bucky” at the heart of the complaint
Buck Woodall has filed a complaint for copyright infringement against the Disney studios who, according to him, plagiarized one of his scripts to produce their famous “Moana” saga, reports the American media Entertainment Weekly.
In his complaint, the director indicates that Jenny Marchick, former director of development at Mandeville Films, would have transmitted to Disney, without informing him, his project “Bucky”, which he had written for her in 2004. According to Buck Woodall, his story would have been used by the giant Disney for its saga.
Still according to the complaint, the script for “Bucky” told the story of a Polynesian teenager who sets off on a perilous journey against the advice of his parents and finds himself confronted with demigods and characters from Polynesian culture… A scenario which is reminiscent of that of Vaianawho received an unexpected call from her ancestors and sets out on a journey that will take her to the dangerous waters located at the edge of the seas of Oceania. She will experience adventures like never experienced before (we won't spoil any more).
Ten billion dollars in damages
The director concretely accuses Disney of being inspired by “Bucky” in order to release Vaiana, in 2016, and Vaiana 2in 2024. Buck Woodall is seeking damages of 2.5% of the revenue generated by the two successful Disney films, which today reach around $1.6 billion (€1.55 billion). ), as well as a court ruling to uphold the copyright of “Bucky” and prohibit further infringement. That is, all the same, around ten million dollars in damages.
In November, Buck Woodall had already filed a complaint against the American giant for the first time in November, accusing it of having plagiarized the first part of Vaiana. For the record, the writer Muneefa Abdullah claimed, in 2015, that Disney studios had copied his tale, The Snow Princess to achieve its global success, The Snow Queen. Released, plagiarized? It’s up to justice to decide.
