The Controversy Between Elon Musk and Hollywood
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” These timeless words from Oscar Wilde would likely elicit a chuckle from him if he were to witness the antics of Elon Musk. Last week, the billionaire entrepreneur found himself in hot water after Alex Proyas, the director of the 2004 sci-fi classic I, Robot, accused Musk of replicating his designs for humanoid robots and self-driving cars. Proyas took to the social media platform X to voice his grievances, stating, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please,” a post that has since garnered over eight million views.
The situation escalated when it became evident that Musk had also drawn inspiration from yet another iconic Hollywood film: Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to the 1982 original Blade Runner. This film paints a picture of a dystopian future filled with autonomous vehicles powered by artificial intelligence. On Monday, the production company behind Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 filed a lawsuit against Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging copyright infringement in the promotion of a new self-driving vehicle.
According to the lawsuit filed by Alcon Entertainment, Musk utilized AI-generated imagery that closely mirrors scenes from the 2017 film during the unveiling of Tesla’s new autonomous Robotaxi at a recent marketing event. The production company claims that Musk proceeded with this presentation despite having been denied permission to use the material. The lawsuit states, “He did it anyway,” and emphasizes that Alcon does not wish to be associated with Musk or his enterprises.
“Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s highly politicized, erratic behavior, which sometimes borders on hate speech, into account,” the lawsuit added, highlighting the caution that potential partners must exercise.
Elon Musk has made headlines not just for his business ventures but also for his political endorsements, particularly for Donald Trump. He has reportedly invested at least $70 million (€64.5 million) to support Trump’s bid for the presidency, appeared alongside him at rallies, and even pledged to donate $1 million (approximately €921,000) daily to voters who sign his political action committee’s petition—actions that some view as a form of election interference.
What Happened During the Launch?
On October 10, Musk unveiled Tesla’s fully autonomous Robotaxi on the Warner Bros. Discovery lot in Burbank, California. During the globally livestreamed presentation, he showcased AI-generated footage depicting a figure in a long trench coat wandering through the ruins of Las Vegas. The lawsuit claims that this scene is a direct copy of a moment in Blade Runner 2049 featuring actor Ryan Gosling.
Interestingly, just a day before the launch, Warner Bros. Discovery reached out to Alcon to request permission to use clips from Blade Runner 2049 for Tesla’s presentation. However, Alcon Co-CEO Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson declined the request, objecting to any affiliation between their film and Musk’s companies. Despite this rejection, Musk proceeded with his plans.
The lawsuit suggests that Musk’s actions were an insincere attempt to associate Tesla’s cybercab with well-established Hollywood brands during a time when Musk and Tesla were facing challenges within the entertainment industry. During his remarks, Musk even referenced Blade Runner, stating, “You know, I love ‘Blade Runner,’ but I don’t know if we want that future. I believe we want that duster he’s wearing, but not the bleak apocalypse.”
Alcon Entertainment argues that this unauthorized association poses a significant threat to their brand and seeks a court injunction to prevent Musk, Tesla, Warner Bros. Discovery, and any affiliates from further copying, displaying, distributing, or selling elements of Blade Runner 2049 in connection with Tesla or Musk, along with blocking any derivative works. While the lawsuit does not specify monetary damages, it asserts that the financial repercussions of this misappropriation are substantial. “Alcon has invested decades and hundreds of millions of dollars building the ‘BR2049’ brand into the renowned mark it is today,” the lawsuit states, adding that previous contracts linking automotive brands with the film have reached into the eight figures.
As of now, Tesla has not publicly commented on the ongoing lawsuit.