Peter Cushing’s resurrection 22 years after his death for the spin-off film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is at the centre of a legal battle over control of his image.
Special effects were used to digitally recreate Cushing’s character, Grand Moff Tarkin, from the original Star Wars film.
The makers of Rogue One are being sued by a film producer who was one of Cushing’s oldest friends. Kevin Francis claims the actor agreed not to grant permission for anyone to reproduce his appearance through special effects without his authorisation.
The Disney group, which made Rogue One, failed on Monday to have Francis’s claim for “unjust enrichment” dismissed at the High Court in London. Cushing died of cancer in 1994 at the age of 81. Special effects were used to recreate his appearance with the British actor, Guy Henry, 63, performing as his body double.
Francis’ company, Tyburn Film Productions, is suing the Disney subsidiary Lucasfilm, which owns the rights to Star Wars, and Lunak Heavy Industries (UK), the producer of Rogue One. He also brought claims against the executors of Cushing’s estate, who have both died, and Associated International Management, the agency that represented Cushing until his death.
Cant to see the future corporate wars over who owns the rights to Keanu Reeves likeness
I HATE how this is not “hey this person did not and could not have consented to this” and is instead “nuh uh I own him not you”
Eventually Futurama will be correct and these companies will be licensing out the image of dead people for sex bots.
Yeah, seriously. His friend is suing Disney and the executors of Cushing’s estate? On behalf of whom, himself?
Tf is going on, who tf is this guy?
Considering the executors of the estate were not doing it, I’d say someone has to do it.
“The estate of the dead person was economically coerced into receiving pennies so rich people can animate this dead person and collect royalty-free revenue from their likeness for all eternity. Why are you such a Luddite?”
Literally the “Own John Candy’s Soul in the Metaverse” bit from Chapo