The stars of the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet” on Wednesday renewed their lawsuit against Paramount Pictures and home distributor Criterion Collections over the distribution of a nude scene they filmed more than 55 years ago. Ta.
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting have filed a lawsuit alleging that both film companies illegally spread nude images of them in a bedroom scene by redistributing their Oscar-winning film.
The actors, who are both in their 70s, have said they were teenagers at the time when the late director Franco Zeffirelli allegedly misled them about appearing naked in the film.
“Nothing in the contract” at the time of the original release granted Paramount the right to re-photograph the production in any medium other than 35mm analog motion picture photography. According to Entertainment Weekly magazine.
But last February’s digital release violated that contract because “digitally enhanced photos” of the two naked together in bed and other parts were taken in “ultra high resolution.” The complaint states that Hussey’s naked chest and Whiting’s bare buttocks were both exposed, according to the complaint.
“The private parts of Hussie and Whiting in those photographs are likely obscured by the very low resolution of their representation in the original works,” the lawsuit alleges.
“Hussey and Whiting acquiesced in the inclusion of the original photographs in the original work…because… [the two] “We did not feel that this presentation went so far beyond Zeffirelli’s promises that we could sue for a breach of that promise,” the complaint states.
The pair claimed in a statement to EW that they offered Paramount an “olive branch” in hopes of resolving the lawsuit, but their efforts were rebuffed.
“Our fight for accountability will include new lawsuits and tougher media efforts that we have been trying to avoid,” they said. “We believe that the facts, evidence and law on this matter are all clear and that more than half a century of mental imprisonment for this shocking event is sufficient.”
The actors sued Paramount last year, alleging child sexual exploitation and distributing nude images, but a judge ruled the lawsuit had passed, saying the film’s nude scenes could not be classified as child pornography. It has reportedly been rejected. USA Today reported.
The newspaper reached out to Paramount and Criterion for comment on Wednesday’s filing.
