Fox 32 ChicagoNOW Interviews Daliah Saper on UK Lawsuit Over Digital “Resurrection” of Star Wars Actor Peter Cushing

Fox 32 ChicagoNOW recently featured Saper Law founder Daliah Saper, a leading attorney in AI and copyright matters, to discuss a new UK lawsuit involving the digital recreation of actor Peter Cushing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The suit, brought by Tyburn Film Productions against Lunak Heavy Industries (UK) Ltd, alleges unjust enrichment stemming from the unauthorized use of Cushing’s likeness. Cushing, who originated the role of Grand Moff Tarkin in the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope, passed away in 1994. His character, however, was digitally resurrected for the 2016 film using advanced special effects.

During the interview, Daliah explained that the dispute appears to center more on contractual rights than on traditional copyright infringement or right of publicity misappropriation. She broke down the various causes of action in the lawsuit and discussed broader trends in AI litigation, including deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-created music.

If you have questions about copyright, AI, or contract disputes, you can schedule a consultation with Saper Law here.