--- title: "Disney Sued for Bringing Actor Back From the Dead for “Star Wars” Movie" description: "After digitally recreating the late actor Peter Cushing's likeness for 2016's \"Star Wars: Rogue One,\" Disney is being sued for doing so." date: "2024-09-10" modified: "2024-09-10" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/disney-sued-rogue-one-resurrection" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cgi" - "disney" - "star wars" - "the digest" --- # Disney Sued for Bringing Actor Back From the Dead for “Star Wars” Movie ![After digitally recreating the late actor Peter Cushing's likeness for 2016's "Star Wars: Rogue One," Disney is being sued for doing so.]() *\Image: Sunset Boulevard / Corbis via Getty\* ## Rogue None After digitally recreating the late actor Peter Cushing's likeness for 2016's "[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]()," Disney is being sued for doing so without the [imperial commander]()'s express permission. As [*The Times of London* reports](), one of the actor's oldest friends, the producer Kevin Francis, has claimed that prior to his [death in 1994](), Cushing insisted that nobody could reproduce his likeness digitally without his explicit authorization. Nevertheless, he was resurrected in just such a way — 22 years after dying from prostate cancer in real life — to reprise his role as the nefarious Grand Moff Tarkin, which Lucasfilm reconstructed using old footage from his live turn as the imperial governor in 1977's "A New Hope." Along with suing Disney, Francis' production studio Tyburn Films is also suing its subsidiary Lucasfilm, which owns the rights to the "Star Wars" franchise, the since-deceased executors of Cushing's estate, and Associated International Management, the agency that represented the actor until his death more than 30 years ago. ## Hi, Court During the case, Disney told the United Kingdom's High Court that Cushing's contract didn't require prior permission to recreate his likeness and that the company had struck a deal with the actor's agent for about $36,000 to clear such use. While seeking to get the suit thrown out, the entertainment conglomerate claimed that Francis, who also worked with the late "[Frankenstein]()" and "[Doctor Who]()" actor, was seeking "unjust enrichment" with his demand for damages of more than $650,000. Nevertheless, the High Court agreed that the producer's suit could continue. Because the British court system is [much more opaque]() than its American counterpart, we'll likely only hear more about it if Disney loses or is dealt another major blow like this one. As such, we don't really know when the [elderly producer]() even brought his suit against Disney. Given both that "Rogue One" came out nearly eight years ago and the word-of-mouth nature of his claim, however, it might be a difficult one for him to win. **More on Disney:** [*Disney Says Wrongful Death Suit Should Be Dropped Because Plaintiff Was a Disney+ Subscriber*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()