Steve Coogan, his production company Baby Cow and Pathé Productions have settled a libel claim over their 2022 film “The Lost King,” with the university employee who sued over his depiction in the film being awarded “substantial damages.”
The film, which was written by Coogan and stars him and Sally Hawkins, tells the story of how the remains of British monarch King Richard III were discovered in Leicester in 2012. Richard Taylor, the deputy registrar at the University of Leicester at the time who was played by Lee Ingleby in the film, sued last year over what his lawyer alleged was an “arrogant villain” depiction.
On Monday, the BBC reported that a settlement had been reached and the case will no longer go to trial. Taylor had claimed that the character based on him was “dismissive, patronizing and misogynistic” toward the historian Philippa Langley, played by Hawkins.
In addition to paying Taylor damages, “The Lost King” will now feature an on-screen clarification at the beginning of the film that reads: “Whilst in this film there is a character called Richard Taylor who is shown to be an employee of the University of Leicester, the portrayal of him is fictional and does not represent the actions of the real Mr. Taylor, who was employed by the University of Leicester as its Deputy Registrar, and acted with integrity during the events portrayed.” No other editorial changes will be made to the film.
In June, Judge Jaron Lewis ruled that the film portrayed Taylor as having “knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public” about the discovery of Richard III’s remains and acting “smug, unduly dismissive and patronizing,” which could constitute as defamation.
“I’m really pleased that we have finally established that the film is a defamatory portrayal of me — baseless in its depiction of me and a distortion of the search for Richard III,” Taylor said to the BBC on Monday. “And I don’t let that detract from what was a fantastic piece of teamwork, a collaborative experience where university academics and amateurs came together to search for Richard III.”
In response to the settlement, Coogan, Baby Cow and Pathé said in a joint statement: “As a distributor and producer recognized for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity and a commitment to authenticity. We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled.”
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Coogan added in his own statement that due to Langley’s “ill health” they were “unable to put evidence before the court so that the judge could independently come to a decision on the matter, which I would have preferred.”
The statement continued: “Philippa Langley instigated the search for Richard III. Philippa Langley insisted on the dig in the Northern area of the social services carpark where the remains were found. Philippa Langley raised the majority of the money for his exhumation — if it wasn’t for Philippa Langley, Richard III would still lying under a carpark in Leicester. It is her name that will be remembered in relation to the discovery of the lost king, long after Richard Taylor has faded into obscurity. As already stated, the only changes to the film will be a front card which will follow the existing card which says that this film is a true story – PHILIPPA LANGLEY’S STORY. That is the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did. I won’t be commenting further at this stage as I consult with lawyers on the inflammatory comments made by Richard Taylor about me personally.”
Pathé had previously defended the film, telling Variety in March 2024 that “The Lost King” was a “feature film, not a documentary” and was “not a literal portrayal of exact words.”
“Pathé has a long, respected and successful history of financing and distributing dramatic motion pictures based on real people, events and stories (including ‘The Queen,’ ‘The Iron Lady,’ ‘Philomena,’ ‘Selma,’ ‘Pride,’ ‘Judy’ and ‘The Great Escaper’) and we stand by our decision to finance ‘The Lost King,’ to give Philippa Langley a voice and to bring her story to the screen,” the company said at the time. “We will respect the judge’s decision and are confident that the film doesn’t bear the meaning which Richard Taylor is alleging. It was never Pathé’s intention to misrepresent anyone and we believe we will succeed in defending the film and Pathé’s position.”
From Variety US