Movie fans can sue film studios if they release misleading trailers, judge rules in Ana de Armas suit
Judge Wilson rejected Universal's bid to dismiss the lawsuit brought by two Ana de Armas fans and said trailers were subject to advertising laws.
Movie fans will be able to sue studios under false advertising laws if they release misleading trailers for forthcoming releases, a federal judge ruled this week.
The news was first reported by Variety.
The trailer for Danny Boyle's 2019 feature "Yesterday" may be considered as false advertising because it included actress Ana de Armas, who did not actually appear in the film, according to a court filing on Tuesday.
A California district court judge, Stephen V. Wilson, is letting a class action suit filed earlier this year proceed after Universal Studios asked for it be dismissed. Universal argued that it would "open the floodgates" to others who felt they had been misled by trailers.
Judge Wilson rejected Universal's argument and ruled that the trailers were subject to advertising laws: "At its core, a trailer is an advertisement designed to sell a movie by providing consumers with a preview of the movie."
Two Ana de Armas fans brought the lawsuit against Universal in January after they paid $3.99 to rent the rom-com online to find that the "No Time to Die" actress didn't appear in the film. At least $5m is being claimed on behalf of the fans in the lawsuit.
The fans, Peter Michael Rosza and Conor Woulfe, argued that they were tricked into watching "Yesterday" after they saw Armas in the trailer. The complaint said Universal was "unable to rely on fame of the actors playing Jack Malik or Ellie to maximize ticket and movie sales and rentals," and therefore "used Ms. De Armas's fame, radiance and brilliance to promote the film by including her scenes in the movie trailers."
Judge Wilson said that the moviegoers were not given "any value for their rental or purchase", per the filing, and lawyers will meet again for the case in April.
Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
The news was first reported by Variety.
The trailer for Danny Boyle's 2019 feature "Yesterday" may be considered as false advertising because it included actress Ana de Armas, who did not actually appear in the film, according to a court filing on Tuesday.
A California district court judge, Stephen V. Wilson, is letting a class action suit filed earlier this year proceed after Universal Studios asked for it be dismissed. Universal argued that it would "open the floodgates" to others who felt they had been misled by trailers.
Judge Wilson rejected Universal's argument and ruled that the trailers were subject to advertising laws: "At its core, a trailer is an advertisement designed to sell a movie by providing consumers with a preview of the movie."
Two Ana de Armas fans brought the lawsuit against Universal in January after they paid $3.99 to rent the rom-com online to find that the "No Time to Die" actress didn't appear in the film. At least $5m is being claimed on behalf of the fans in the lawsuit.
The fans, Peter Michael Rosza and Conor Woulfe, argued that they were tricked into watching "Yesterday" after they saw Armas in the trailer. The complaint said Universal was "unable to rely on fame of the actors playing Jack Malik or Ellie to maximize ticket and movie sales and rentals," and therefore "used Ms. De Armas's fame, radiance and brilliance to promote the film by including her scenes in the movie trailers."
Judge Wilson said that the moviegoers were not given "any value for their rental or purchase", per the filing, and lawyers will meet again for the case in April.
Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
