PremiumUniversal sued by Ana de Armas fans for the actor’s absence in the film Yesterday
The lawsuit claims that fans were ‘tricked’ into watching the film by including Armas in the trailer, although she is absent in the film
Last Updated: 07.49 AM, Jan 23, 2022
Due to their 2019 film, Yesterday, Universal has found itself in murky waters of late. Two Ana de Armas fans have sued the company for "enticing" viewers to watch Yesterday by including the actor’s clips in the trailer, although she does not appear in the film’s final cut.
According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Rosza and Conor Woulfe have filed a lawsuit in a California court against Universal, accusing them of "false advertising, unjust enrichment, and violating competition laws," among others.
Yesterday is the story of a struggling musician named Jack who one day finds that the world has forgotten about the iconic rock band, The Beatles. He proceeds to make the best of the situation by marketing the band’s popular songs as his creations. It stars Lily James, Joel Fry, Ed Sheeran, and Kate McKinnon.
The scene that stirred up the storm is one in the film’s trailer that shows Jack coming on the James Cordon show, where Armas is seen playing another guest. As Jack plays a song, Armas’ character is seen hugging him.
The entire scene was cut from the final version of the film, and the lawsuit alleges that the movie made use of Armas’ fame and popularity for promotion. Rosza had rented the film and realized that the actor wasn’t in it after watching it. The lawsuit also points to the fact that the trailer also tried to lure viewers into watching the film by including a popular Beatles song, Something, in it as well.
The lawsuit demanded that the makers pay at least $5 million on behalf of Maryland and California viewers who were deceived into watching the film.
Yesterday is available to stream on Netflix.