US courts recently granted two movie fans the right to sue a major production company for showcasing an unreliable trailer that had them renting the film under false pretenses. The preview featured prominent scenes from Ana de Armas—only for viewers to be disappointed when they discovered that their favorite actress’ portion of the work was completely omitted.
For the low price of only $3.99 each, two men – one from California and the other from Maryland – tapped into Amazon Prime to watch “Yesterday”, expecting to see their beloved actress Ana de Armas in action once again; particularly since she was so memorable as a spy in James Bond’s blockbuster movie “No Time To Die”.
No trace of the famous actress
In the initial trailer of Universal Pictures’ Yesterday, audiences were intrigued to spot up-and-coming actress in a few scenes. Sadly, after an edit was made to the feature film’s version, the 30-year old star is nowhere to be seen as her clips were removed altogether.
On Friday, the plaintiffs united and filed a lawsuit for fraud due to media reports in the United States. The legal document alleged that “consumers were not given satisfactory value for their rent or purchase”.
Movie trailers are protected
In support of its position, Universal Pictures declared that movie trailers are safeguarded by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.
However, the presiding judge was not convinced by this line of reasoning and reprimanded the large movie studio for their actions.
Declaring that a movie trailer is an advertisement meant to promote the film by offering consumers a brief introduction, the judge gave green light to launch legal proceedings against the company.
Compensation of 5 million
Contacted by AFP, Universal did not immediately respond Friday night to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit sought damages of $5 million.
Hearings in the case are scheduled to open on April 3.
