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
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"You're afraid of necromancy? Don't you know that Necromancy creates jobs?" - Byron BuyYourBones, CEO of ARISEN a silicon valley start up that uses AI and Machine Learning to create digital avatars of your loved ones and then forces them to work as jobs as on-demand Chatbots for MEGACORP customer services
EDIT: I should have called it AI-RISEN, the marketing suits would never have the courage to call it something that doesn't overtly name check whatever trendy tech is poppin'.
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The most bazinga brained person I know was mad about people discussing the ethics of cgi necromancy not because of a principled stance but that it ruined the movie by giving away the big reveal of Peter Cushing being in it.
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Is it still treat-brained if someone wants to be a necromancer so they can resurrect Thatcher, Reagan, and Gorby to make their skeletons fight in a protracted zombie war against the state? Asking for a friend....
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