‘Blade Runner 2049’ producers: Elon Musk ripped us off at robotaxi launch
Elon Musk allegedly used images from the movie despite not having permission to do so.
“Blade Runner 2049” producers filed a lawsuit against billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk for allegedly using images from the film without permission at the Tesla robotaxi launch event.
Alcon Entertainment, one of the production companies behind “Blade Runner 2049,” is suing Musk — along with Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery — for copyright infringement.
The company claims it rejected Musk’s request to use material from “Blade Runner 2049” as part of the marketing event for the new Cybercab, but Tesla’s CEO didn’t take no for an answer.
“Alcon refused all permissions and adamantly objected to defendants suggesting any affiliation between BR2049 and Tesla, Musk or any Musk-owned company. Defendants then used an apparently AI-generated faked image to do it all anyway,” the complaint said.
According to the lawsuit, Musk’s unveiling of a robotaxi — a futuristic-looking vehicle with no pedals or a steering wheel that Tesla says drives itself — used AI-generated imagery mirroring scenes from the film, including one featuring a man resembling Hollywood star Ryan Gosling, who plays the main character K in the film.
The complaint called Musk’s use of images “a bad faith and intentionally malicious gambit” to “make the otherwise stilted and stiff content of the … event more attractive to the global audience and to misappropriate BR2049’s brand to help sell Teslas.”
Alcon denied Musk’s request due to “his highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech.” Musk has repeatedly expressed support for Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential race, campaigned for him and most recently announced $1 million cash incentives to swing state voters in a bid to galvanize Republicans.
Musk has long referenced the “Blade Runner” sequel as an inspiration for his Tesla technology.
In a separate claim earlier this month, the director of sci-fi movie “I, Robot” Alex Proyas accused Musk of copying his designs. “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?” he posted on X.
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