A legal battle that has been brewing for years is now going to trial, with a High Court in London ruling that Tyburn Film Productions can proceed with their lawsuit against Disney/Lucasfilm for using the late Peter Cushing's likeness in 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
It was one of the first examples of a studio employing what's come to be known as "digital necromancy" to bring a deceased actor's character back to the screen, but far from the last, and it always results in a significant amount of backlash. Most recently, the late Ian Holm's likeness was used for an android in Alien: Romulus, and we also saw the spirit of Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler return in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
In 2019, Tyburn Film Productions - which is run by one of Cushing's oldest friends, Kevin Francis - claimed that the company had entered into an agreement with the actor prior to his death, which would prevent the reproduction of his likeness through special effects without their consent. Disney has attempted to get the bid thrown out several times, but a judge has now ruled that the case will go to trial.
In his ruling, the judge said that while he was “far from persuaded” that Tyburn Film Productions would succeed in its claim, the case was not “unarguable” and a “full factual inquiry” was needed.
The trial will now take place at a later date.
What do you make of this development? How do you feel about actors' likeness being used in movies and TV shows after their deaths? Be sure to let us know in the comment section, and have a look at Tarkin's first scene from Rogue One below.
"Former scientist Galen Erso lives on a farm with his wife and young daughter, Jyn. His peaceful existence comes crashing down when the evil Orson Krennic takes him away from his beloved family. Many years later, Galen becomes the Empire's lead engineer for the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, the Death Star. Knowing that her father holds the key to its destruction, Jyn joins forces with a spy and other resistance fighters to steal the space station's plans for the Rebel Alliance."
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.
Please log in to post comments.
Don't have an account? Please Register.
Home | Index | Site Map | About | Terms Of Service | Community Guidelines | Privacy | Copyright | Trademark Contact | Advertise
2024 ® © ™ Best Little Sites LLC, ComicBookMovie.com. All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site, ComicBookMovie.com is protected from liability under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions. Content herein has been submitted by users who have agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. ComicBookMovie.com and Best Little Sites LLC are not liable for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions.
Learn more about our copyright and trademark policies
Contact Us for removal of copyrighted images, trademarks, or other issues.