Overview
- Phantom Studios filed a lawsuit in the Bombay High Court accusing JioStar of making an unauthorised sequel and seeking Rs 250 crore in damages along with orders to stop release and require disclosure of related agreements.
- Phantom says it owns 50% of the original 2014 film Queen’s intellectual property, including derivative and sequel rights, and that it issued notices and tried to settle before suing.
- JioStar rejects the claim and says the new project is an original, independent story with no narrative or character links to the 2014 film and that the common noun 'Queen' cannot be exclusively owned.
- The disputed film, directed by Vikas Bahl and starring Kangana Ranaut, finished principal photography and is in post-production, which raises urgency because a court order could interrupt distribution plans.
- The case highlights a wider industry issue where old co-production agreements and split ownership of film rights can block franchise extensions and force courts to parse contract language to decide who may make sequels.