Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind the sci-fi film Blade Runner 2049, has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery for alleged copyright infringement. The production company claims they denied Musk’s usage of material from the film due to his support of Donald Trump and his “highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech.”
Politico reports that the producers of the sci-fi film Blade Runner 2049 have taken legal action against billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his companies over the unauthorized use of imagery from the movie. The lawsuit, filed by Alcon Entertainment, claims that Musk used AI-generated images mirroring scenes from the film during the recent Tesla robotaxi launch event, despite the company’s explicit refusal to grant permission.
According to the complaint, Alcon Entertainment rejected Musk’s request to use material from Blade Runner 2049 as part of the marketing campaign for Tesla’s new Cybercab, a futuristic vehicle designed to operate without pedals or a steering wheel. However, the lawsuit alleges that Musk disregarded their objections and proceeded to use the images anyway, in what Alcon describes as “a bad faith and intentionally malicious gambit” to enhance the appeal of the event to a global audience and “misappropriate BR2049’s brand to help sell Teslas.”
The imagery in question reportedly includes an AI-generated scene featuring a man resembling Hollywood star Ryan Gosling, who played the lead role of K in the film. Alcon Entertainment claims that their decision to deny Musk’s request was based on his “highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech.” The complaint also cites Musk’s recent support for Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential race, his campaigning efforts, and the announcement of $1 million cash incentives to swing state voters as factors contributing to their refusal.
Elon Musk has long been vocal about his admiration for Blade Runner 2049, often referencing the film as an inspiration for Tesla’s technology. However, this is not the first time the billionaire has faced accusations of copying designs from the entertainment industry. Earlier this month, Alex Proyas, the director of the sci-fi movie I, Robot, publicly called out Musk on social media, asking, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?”
Read more at Politico here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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