Lucasfilm Prevails in Legal Battle Over CGI Resurrected Star

Disney's Lucasfilm successfully quashed a lawsuit in London regarding the use of Peter Cushing's likeness in a Star Wars spinoff movie. Tyburn Film Productions claimed rights to 'resurrect' Cushing digitally, but the Court of Appeal found no transfer of rights from Tyburn to Lucasfilm, ending the case.

Disney unit Lucasfilm secured a legal victory in London's Court of Appeal on Thursday, successfully dismissing a lawsuit related to the use of long-dead actor Peter Cushing's likeness in a Star Wars film.

Cushing, who originally appeared in the 1977 classic, was digitally recreated for the 2016 blockbuster "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." British company Tyburn Film Productions argued it had rights to digitally bring Cushing back, leading to a legal battle over the alleged infringement.

The Court of Appeal ruled there was no basis for Tyburn's claims, stating it was "impossible to identify anything" transferred to Lucasfilm or fellow Disney subsidiary Lunak Heavy Industries. This decision marks a significant win for Lucasfilm in the ongoing saga of intellectual property rights in cinema.

(With inputs from agencies.)