Steve Coogan has reached a settlement in a libel case over the 2022 film The Lost King, after a university academic sued the actor and producers, claiming he was unfairly depicted in the movie.
The British actor-comedian, who both wrote and starred in
the film, dramatized the 2012 search for King Richard III’s remains. Richard
Taylor, then deputy registrar at the University of Leicester, filed suit
against Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathé Productions, arguing
that his on-screen portrayal was defamatory, “misogynistic,” and “weasel-like.”
Actor Lee Ingleby portrayed Taylor in the film.
In June, a U.K. judge ruled that the movie suggested Taylor
had “knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public” about the
discovery of Richard III’s remains and portrayed him as “smug, unduly
dismissive, and patronizing” — statements the court found could be considered
defamatory. The case was scheduled to go to trial.
However, on Monday, it was announced that Taylor had
prevailed in his claim, reaching a settlement with all involved parties,
including Coogan. He will receive “substantial damages” as part of the
agreement. “I’m very pleased that it’s been formally recognized the film was a
defamatory and baseless portrayal of me, distorting the true story of the
Richard III search,” Taylor told BBC News outside a London court.
In The Lost King, Sally Hawkins stars as Philippa
Langley, the amateur historian whose efforts led to the discovery of King
Richard III’s remains beneath a parking lot in Leicester. Coogan plays her
estranged husband, while Ingleby’s version of Taylor is initially dismissive of
Langley’s project but later supports it — though he excludes her from the
public announcement of the discovery.
Following the settlement, Coogan released a statement
emphasizing that attention should remain on Langley’s achievements. “It’s
unfortunate that due to Philippa Langley’s ill health we couldn’t present
evidence in court and allow the judge to reach an independent decision, which I
would have preferred,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
He went on to praise Langley’s pivotal role in the
discovery: “Philippa Langley initiated the search for Richard III, insisted on
digging in the exact location where he was found, and raised most of the
funding. Without her, Richard III would still be buried under that parking
lot.”
Coogan also said that the only change to The Lost King
will be a new title card added after the existing “based on a true story”
message, clarifying that the movie represents “Philippa Langley’s story.”
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