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.

Buck Woodall accused the entertainment giant and multiple other parties of copyright infringement of his screenplay “Bucky,” which he said is set in an ancient Polynesian village and includes the protagonist going on a dangerous journey and encountering a demigod with a giant hook and tattoos, according to the lawsuit .

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.

Animator Buck Woodall claims former Mandeville Films development director Jenny Marchick passed his "substantially similar" screenplay to Disney years before "Moana" premiered.

An animator is seeking multiple-billion dollars worth of damages from Disney after accusing Moana 2 producers of stealing some of his ideas. Buck Woodall filed his lawsuit in a California federal court this week - two months after the sequel to the 2016 Polynesian mythology inspired hit landed in cinemas.

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