Stunt Performers Sue Production Company Over Unauthorized Spy Film Clip in Elton John Tour

Two stunt performers have filed suit against Marv Studios, claiming an 18-second clip from Kingsman: The Golden Circle was licensed to Elton John's farewell tour without their consent. Theo Morton and Douglas Robson brought the case against Marv Bespoke Productions Limited, with acting union Equity backing them.

Each performer wants £100,000 ($133,000) in lost earnings.

The clip showed the singer taking down bad guys in the spy movie. It ran during the Farewell Yellow Brick Road stage show, which had 330 live performances. Morton and Robson also claim the footage appeared in Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium on Disney+ and his Glastonbury performance on BBC iPlayer.

"All of this exploitation of this footage has been done without the performers' prior consent nor prior knowledge. Its use therefore breaches the contract between the performers and Marv," said the High Court legal filing, per Deadline.

The production company did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

An Equity spokesperson said the union reached out several times but couldn't have a conversation with the studio. This left legal action as the only option.

"We're supporting our members in this case. Unfortunately, despite reaching out directly several times, we were unable to have meaningful dialogue with Marv which only left legal action. We remain keen to find an amicable resolution to this situation," an Equity spokesperson told Deadline.

British director Matthew Vaughn founded Marv Studios. Kingsman: The Golden Circle premiered in 2017 as a sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service.