A Los Angeles jury decided on March 10, 2025, that Disney did not steal the idea for its 2016 animated movie Moana. The decision came after a two-week trial where Buck Woodall, a writer and animator,

Buck Woodall’s five-year battle with Disney over who really created Moana looks to have come to an end, with a Los Angeles jury on Monday finding for the House of Mouse in the animated franchise dispute,

On Monday, a Los Angeles jury ruled in Disney's favor, stating that the company and the primary creators of Moana, John Musker, and Ron Clements, weren't privy to Woodall's work when they created the 2016 animated feature. However, the matter isn't settled yet as Woodall has filed a separate lawsuit over Moana 2.