The Queen Forever movie has become the centre of a legal controversy after Phantom Studios filed a Rs 250 crore lawsuit against JioStar India in the Bombay High Court. The production company has alleged that the upcoming project featuring Kangana Ranaut and directed by Vikas Bahl was developed without its approval, despite its claimed ownership rights over the Queen franchise.
The dispute revolves around intellectual property rights connected to the original 2014 film Queen. Phantom Studios claims that it and JioStar (earlier Viacom18) jointly own rights to future projects, including sequels, prequels, remakes and spin-offs based on the franchise.
Phantom Studios Challenges Queen Forever Movie Rights
At the centre of the Queen Forever movie dispute is a 2012 co-production agreement, which was later reinforced through a 2022 deed of novation. According to Phantom Studios, both companies hold equal rights over the intellectual property created from Queen.
The company has alleged that JioStar partnered with Trigger Happy Entertainment to develop and shoot the film without taking approval from Phantom Studios. It has claimed that this move violated the terms of their agreement.
Phantom has argued that the project should not be treated as an independent film because of its connection with the original franchise, including the involvement of director Vikas Bahl, actress Kangana Ranaut and the use of the Queen title.
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JioStar Says Queen Forever Movie Is Independent Story
Responding to the allegations, JioHotstar has maintained that the Queen Forever movie is not connected to the 2014 Queen film.
The company stated that the project is neither a sequel nor a prequel and has no connection with the earlier film in terms of story, characters or creative elements. JioStar also argued that the word “Queen” is a common English term and cannot be claimed exclusively by any party.
Meanwhile, Phantom Studios has sought a permanent injunction to stop JioStar and Trigger Happy Entertainment from continuing production, promotion or release of the project without its consent.
Bombay High Court to Hear Queen Forever Movie Dispute
Phantom Studios has also requested complete disclosure of agreements and creative materials related to the project while seeking recognition of its alleged 50 per cent ownership rights in revenue generated from any Queen-related content.
The legal dispute surrounding the Queen Forever movie will now be considered by the Bombay High Court, where Phantom is pushing for an urgent hearing.
Earlier, Kangana Ranaut announced on social media that the shooting of the Queen Forever movie had officially wrapped up on June 30.
The final outcome of the case will decide whether the film can move ahead as planned or faces further delays due to the ongoing intellectual property rights dispute.