The makers of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are being sued by a friend of late actor Peter Cushing, who argues they did not have permission to digitally recreate his Grand Moff Tarkin character for the film.
As The Times reports, film producer Kevin Francis, described as "one of Cushing's oldest friends," claims the actor agreed not to grant permission for anyone to reproduce his likeness using special effects without his authorization.
Cushing first appeared as Grand Moff Tarkin in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, and passed away of cancer in 1994 at age 81.
For Gareth Edwards' Rogue One, digital effects were used to recreate his appearance, while British actor Guy Henry performed the role as a body double.
Francis' company, Tyburn Film Productions, is suing Disney subsidiary Lucasfilm and Lunak Heavy Industries (UK), the producer of Rogue One, for "unjust enrichment," per The Times.
The outlet reports that Francis 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.
A judge denied Disney's attempt to dismiss the case last December, and the ruling was upheld Monday (September 9).
The companies claimed in court that the terms of Cushing's contract for the original Star Wars film and the nature of the special effects did not require permission. However, they agreed to pay the actor's estate "about £28,000" to clear the use of his appearance after being contacted by the actor's agent.
Cushing has featured in Francis' filmography, appearing in The Ghoul, Legend of the Werewolf and The Masks of Death. He signed the agreement not to allow his image to be used without the permission of Francis in 1993.
In a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, body double Henry shared of his role, "The reason for doing it was honorable. When people were talking about the ethics of bringing someone back who was long dead, I could see that if it was done for the wrong reason or something a bit seedy or just for the sake of it, that would have been wrong ... obviously Tarkin is such a big part of the original [Star Wars]. Not to have Tarkin in it would be just a shame, and I think they have done it very honorably."
The Star Wars saga tread a similar path with the late Carrie Fisher, using archival footage from an earlier film to have her appear in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.