Richard III Film Settlement Sparks Calls for Greater Regulation of Factual Drama
A man who successfully sued over his portrayal in the film The Lost King, starring Steve Coogan, is advocating for increased regulation of fact-based dramas. The film centered on the discovery of the remains of King Richard III and the subsequent legal battle to exhume and rebury them.
Taylor, whose full name has not been widely published, described the experience of being falsely portrayed in the film as “really hurtful”, adding: “The problem is you don’t no what people are saying about you, do you? My integrity is really important to me.” He stated he felt he “should never have been in that position and to do all of that over a portrayal that was false,” and that the past three years had been marked by “moments where it’s really quiet intense and you feel quite anxious,quite stressed,quite worried.”
The case revolved around allegations that The Lost King misrepresented Taylor’s role in the search for Richard III’s remains. he claimed the film falsely depicted him as obstructing the search, motivated by personal gain. He pointed to readily available evidence contradicting the film’s depiction, stating, “go and check that,” and noting “There’s video on YouTube showing her quite clearly speaking at all of them. They didn’t check the facts.”
A joint statement from Pathe Productions, Baby cow Productions and Steve Coogan said: ”As a distributor and producer recognised for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the duty that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity.” The statement continued, “We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled.”
The details of the financial settlement remain confidential. The outcome of the case has renewed debate about the balance between dramatic license and factual accuracy in films based on real events.
