Alcon Entertainment, the company that produced ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk.
The lawsuit accuses Musk of using AI-generated images that look very similar to scenes from ‘Blade Runner 2049’ in a Tesla ad without permission. The ad was part of a presentation for Tesla’s new Robotaxi. It was livestreamed on October 10 from the Warner Bros. Discovery lot in Burbank.
Alcon Entertainment claims that they were contacted by Warner Bros. Discovery the day before the event, and they asked for permission to use specific images from the 2017 movie. They asked to use a scene where Ryan Gosling’s character stands by his car. Alcon refused and said no to the request. Images that looked very similar to that scene (and others from the movie) were shown during the livestream anyway.
Musk himself talked about ‘Blade Runner’ during the event, saying, “I love ‘Blade Runner,’ but I don’t know if we want that future.” The lawsuit claims Musk knew Alcon denied permission but went ahead and used the images anyway. Alcon is asking the court to stop Tesla, Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery from using or selling anything related to ‘Blade Runner 2049.’ They are also asking for financial compensation.
When asked about the lawsuit, Musk responded on X (formerly Twitter). He simply said, “That movie sucked.”
This lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, and it’s not the only legal trouble Musk is facing. ‘Cards Against Humanity’ also sued him in September 2024 over land at the U.S.-Mexico border that the company says Musk used to store building supplies. They are asking for $15 million in damages.
Alcon says they are in talks with other car brands for future partnerships related to their upcoming ‘Blade Runner 2099’ series. It will stream on Amazon Prime.
