the digital resurrection of Peter kushen in Rogue one a Star Wars story has ignited a legal Firestorm with a lawsuit challenging Disney's use of the actor's likeness this situation revolves around the 22-year-old actor's unexpected return to the screen as Grand mof taken a character he famously portrayed in the original 1977 Star Wars film The Crux of the legal dispute lies in the claim by Kevin Francis a film producer and close friend of kushen Francis argues that kushen had an agreement in place that prohibited anyone from using his image through special effects without explicit authorization this agreement supposedly dates back to 1993 when kushen was preparing for a TV film titled A Heritage of horror that was never completed Francis contends that this agreement should have applied to the digital Recreation of kushin character in Rogue one in this legal battle Francis has named not only Disney but also Lucas film lunak heavy industries that is the production company behind Rogue one King's former agency and the executors of his estate in the law suit the suit alleges that Disney and its Affiliates benefited unjustly from the use of Cushing's likeness without proper consent Disney attempted to have the claim dismissed arguing that the digital Recreation of of Cushing's image did not require additional permissions due to the nature of the special effects and the terms of Cushing's original contract for Star Wass however the high court in London recently ruled against Disney's bid to dismiss the case Judge Tom mites while skeptical of francis's chances of winning acknowledged that the issue of digital likeness rights is complex and developing he emphasized that a thorough factual investigation is necessary before any definitive J judgement can be made Disney had previously paid Cushings estate approximately £28,000 for the rights to use his likeness in Rogue one the film featured guy Henry in the role of takan with a digital Recreation of Cushing's face and voice enhancing the performance this blending of live action and CGI has raised questions about the extent of control actors and their Estates should have over postumus portrayals the outcome of this lawsuit could set significant precedence for the use of digital likenesses in film and media while the case remains unresolved it highlights ongoing debates about the boundaries of digital resurrection and the rights of actors and their Estates as digital technology continues to advance this issue is likely to be a focal point in future legal discussions within the entertainment industry stay subscribed for more videos