The film’s creators did not take into account even the smallest of details.
In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story became a huge success. To this day, many fans consider it among the best films in the series. There was action, great characters, and even an appearance by Darth Vader. But if there was one element of Rogue One What caught the eye was Grand Moff Tarkin’s cameo. Peter Cushing, the actor who played him in the first trilogy, died in 1994, and Disney’s use of him gave rise to a significant demand for the company.
According to The Timesa friend of Cushing’s indicated that Disney did not have permission to recreate the actor’s face. This was achieved by means of visual effects. A large team of professionals “reconstructed” his face and put it on the body of another actor. The result, although slightly garish, was well received by critics and fans. Star Wars. Sadly, those close to Cushing did not share the same opinion.
As much as Disney tried to get the suit dropped, their efforts were in vain. The last attempt to avoid the suit was closed on September 9. Kevin Francis, through his film company, Tyburn Film Productions, filed lawsuits against Lucasfilm, Disney, Lunak Heavy Industries (which produced Rogue One), the executors of Cushing’s estate and his agency, Associated International Management.
According to Francis, He must authorize any recreation of the actor’s faceand whatever else they want to do with it for audiovisual content. Peter Cushing reached an agreement with him in 1993, just one year before his death, in which he gave up the rights for such decisions. Lucasfilm assured that it did not believe it needed permission to recreate Cushing considering that he had a contract for the film that started the saga. Likewise, the visual effects were pointed out as a reason for not giving notice. It was also learned that Lucasfilm paid $37 thousand dollars to those who protect the estate of the deceased.
“I am not persuaded that the case is uncontested by the standard required for granting summary judgment or striking out. In a developing area of law it is very difficult to decide where the lines might lie in the absence of a full factual investigation,” said Associate Superior Court Judge Tom Mitcheson, confirming that the case should go to trial. For now, all involved are awaiting the next stage.
Ironically, the death of James Earl Jones, who voiced the iconic Darth Vader, was evidence that the actor took steps to avoid a similar problem. When he recorded a few lines for The Rise of Skywalker, He agreed to have an artificial intelligence replicate his voice for future projects in the galactic saga. Lucasfilm turned to a Ukrainian company called Respeecher, which used previous performances to keep the voice of the biggest villain in Star Wars alive.
In 2023, the Hollywood Actors Guild went on strike to demand better working conditions. One of the main demands was that studios not misuse their vocal and acting records, such as unauthorized replicas in artificial intelligence. It is striking that James Earl Jones did give permission. In addition, he reached an agreement with Disney, which can now use his voice for any project that interests them. However, a question arises: how will the audience react to a voice that is clearly edited? Will it have the same impact as in previous productions?
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