- Phantom Studios sued JioStar for ₹250 crore over ‘Queen Forever’.
- Phantom claims co-ownership, citing breach of 2012 franchise agreement.
- JioStar states ‘Queen Forever’ is an original, standalone film.
- Phantom seeks injunction, revenue share, with urgent court hearing.
Kangana Ranaut and Vikas Bahl are reuniting for Queen Forever – but the project has landed JioStar India in the Bombay High Court. Production company Phantom Studios has sued them for Rs 250 crore for allegedly breaching a decade-old co-ownership arrangement over the Queen franchise.
Phantom Studios Files Rs 250 Cr Suit
At the heart of the case is a question of consent. Phantom claims that under a 2012 co-production agreement – later reinforced by a 2022 deed of novation – it and JioStar (then Viacom18) have held equal, joint rights over all intellectual property flowing from Queen, including any future sequels, prequels, remakes, or spin-offs. Under this setup, neither company could greenlight new derivative projects without sign-off from the other.
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That’s exactly what happened, according to the lawsuit. JioStar allegedly partnered with Trigger Happy Entertainment to write and shoot Queen Forever without looping Phantom in at any point.
Phantom Says It’s A Sequel, Not An Original
JioStar has publicly maintained that Queen Forever is a standalone, original project and is not connected to the 2014 film. However, Phantom disagrees, and points to a few specifics – the pairing of director-actor, Vikas Bahl and Kangana Ranaut, and the shared Queen title.
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Phantom Sought An Interim Injunction
The suit frames JioStar’s conduct as a breach of the novated agreement and accuses the co-producing partner of passing off and of inducing that breach.
It is therefore seeking a permanent injunction stopping JioStar and Trigger Happy from making or releasing any future Queen-based content without its consent. It also seeks an immediate interim halt to all shooting, promotion, and further work on the film.
Furthermore, it wants full disclosure of agreements and creative material tied to the project and formal acknowledgement of its 50 per cent entitlement to revenue from any Queen derivative.
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“The plaintiff seeks to restrain the defendants from proceeding with the impugned film and to enforce the plaintiff’s rights as 50 per cent co-owner of the derivative rights in the film,” the suit noted per a report by Hindustan Times.
‘Neither A Sequel Nor A Prequel’: JioHotstar
JioHotstar, after the suit was filed, claimed that the film is neither a sequel nor a prequel, adding that it is an independent story. “It has no narrative, character or creative connection to any prior work, and is neither a sequel nor a prequel to any existing title,” it said.
It added, “The word ‘Queen’ is a part of the English language. No party can claim exclusive ownership over a common noun, and any such claim has no basis in law.”
The case is now set to come up before Justice Gauri Godse this week, with Phantom pushing for an urgent hearing.
Earlier, on June 30, Kangana took to her Instagram Story to announce that filming for Queen Forever had officially wrapped up.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
