20/12/2025
And so, cue the scrolling text and title for what maybe the last episode in the saga of Tyburn films, challenging with the prospect of a positive and justified outcome, to then then sue Disney, Lucas films for ‘without permission’ using the likeness of the late Peter Cushing, in the CGI role of Grand Moff Tarkin in the 2016 production of Rogue One. I don’t think there is a Peter Cushing follower, who is not aware of this drama! Over the past two years we’ve followed and reported on the progress of what has turned out to be, from the beginning, quite bizarre Case. Two weeks ago, we posted here, the results of the case finally being heard in a UK Civil court, a move forward then, from having previously and originally been heard and dismissed in a US court, with a verdict of ‘no grounds, no case’.
On Wednesday December 3rd 2025, a hearing was held between Tyburn film productions and Lunak Industries… we posted a live video link here, from Court 4 of Civil appeal, so all could watch the appeal and digest the details. After a two and half hour hearing, having considered the case, the judge and team, went away to consider their verdict. Yesterday, Thursday 18th December, around 10am, the documents pertaining, to the courts verdict were released and published. The result was in favour of Disney, Lucas films and Lunak Industries! Tyburn, have lost their £250,000 case.
Lady Carr giving her judgement today agreed, saying that although Tyburn submitted that the Disney companies were directly enriched at their expense, there was no legal basis for this as it was impossible to identify anything that belonged to Tyburn which was transferred to Disney.
She added that the rights which the estate granted to the Disney companies in the 2016 Agreement were not the same as those granted to Tyburn by Mr Cushing under the 1993 written agreement.
Lady Carr, sitting with Sir Colin Birss and Lord Justice Zacarol said: "When Tyburn discovered that Lucasfilm was embarked upon making Rogue One and intended to recreate Mr Cushing in the role of Grand Moff Tarkin, it wrote to Lucasfilm, claiming that it was not permitted to do so without Tyburn’s consent. Tyburn contended in that letter that it had incurred a substantial loss as a result of Lucasfilm’s actions/intended actions.
"The losses were said to comprise approximately £250,000 expended on the TVM together with consequential damages for deprivation of the commercial benefit of being “first out of the gate” with a film starring Mr Cushing after his death. "It sought to reach an accommodation with Lucasfilm. No such accommodation was reached. Rogue One was completed and went on to be a major commercial success.
"We are required to assume, for the purposes of this appeal, that Tyburn will be able to establish at trial that the appellants were, by reason of the 2016 agreement, enriched, that the enrichment was unjust and that there are no defences available to them. “The sole issue, therefore, is whether the appellants were enriched at the expense of Tyburn.
“Wherever the line is to be drawn, Tyburn’s claim is clearly on the wrong side of it. "Accordingly, we allow this appeal and strike out Tyburn’s claim AGAINST the appellants," the judge concluded.
Cue, the end titles… BUT, will there ever be a sequel?
Sources 'Independent UK’
