A filmmaker has accused Disney and Lucasfilm of copying his fan film, sparking a significant controversy for the animated series Star Wars: Visions. Lorenz Hideyoshi, an actor and stunt performer, claims that a fight sequence from his 2019 non-profit fan film was used shot-for-shot in a 2023 episode of the official Disney+ show. The accusation has ignited a debate among fans about creativity and ownership in the age of fan-made content.
The Side-by-Side Comparison
The controversy began when Lorenz Hideyoshi posted a 12-second video on Instagram. The clip places his work, “Dark Jedi: A Star Wars Story” from 2019, directly above a scene from “The Bandits of Golak,” the seventh episode of Star Wars: Visions Volume 2, which released on May 4, 2023. The side-by-side comparison shows striking similarities in the action choreography and camera angles.
In his post, Hideyoshi expressed his frustration, stating, “I mean they already had a different weapons setup, but still managed to brute force (push) my choreo onto that action. Didn’t even change the camera angles.” He directly questioned Disney’s motives, asking, “Why @disney? Is it because we made a non-profit tribute fan film of one of your IPs and now you feel justified in stealing from this pool of creative output?” He suggested that the company should “pay your animators more, or b) hire an action designer.”
The Accused Episode and Its Creator
The episode at the center of the storm, “The Bandits of Golak,” was not produced directly by Lucasfilm or Disney. It was created by the Indian animation studio 88 Pictures, which has also worked on projects like Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. The short film tells the story of a young boy and his Force-sensitive younger sister as they are pursued by Imperial forces.
This detail highlights the anthology nature of Star Wars: Visions, where different animation studios from around the world are given creative freedom to produce their own standalone stories set in the Star Wars universe. However, as the ultimate owner of the Star Wars IP and the distributor of the series, the backlash has been directed at Disney and Lucasfilm.
Fan Reaction and Broader Context
The online reaction to Hideyoshi’s video has been largely supportive of the filmmaker. Many fans and online communities who dissected the footage agree that the resemblance appears to go beyond mere inspiration. This incident has led some fans to question the originality of other sequences in the Visions series.
This is not the first time a Star Wars project has faced plagiarism accusations. In 2021, a lawsuit was filed against Disney claiming patent infringement over a scene in the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance theme park ride. However, the direct comparison of choreography and camera work in this case has created a particularly clear and visible claim for the public to judge.
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What Is Star Wars: Visions?
Star Wars: Visions is an animated anthology series on Disney+ where each episode is a self-contained short film produced by different animation studios. The first volume, released in September 2021, featured work from seven Japanese anime studios. The second volume, which includes the disputed episode, expanded to include studios from across the globe, including Ireland, Chile, Spain, and India.
A key aspect of the series is that its stories are considered non-canonical. This means they exist outside the official Star Wars storyline, a creative decision made specifically to give the animators and directors more freedom to re-imagine the galaxy far, far away. The recently released third volume, which debuted on October 29, 2025, returns to a focus on Japanese anime studios.
The Path Forward
As of now, neither Disney, Lucasfilm, nor 88 Pictures has issued a public statement regarding the allegations. The situation places the popular series in a difficult position, as its brand is built on celebrating unique and diverse creative voices. How the companies involved respond will be closely watched by both fans and creatives in the industry. The core issue remains whether a major studio can be held accountable for the work of its international partners, and where the line is drawn between inspiration and imitation.
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