STUNTMEN SUE OVER ELTON JOHN TOUR FOOTAGE

British stunt performers Theo Morton and Douglas Robson have launched a High Court claim seeking £200,000 over film footage used without authorisation in Sir Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road stage show. The 18-second clips, drawn from the 2017 film Kingsman: The Golden Circle, formed part of the concert tour's backdrop. Mr Morton and Mr Robson appeared in some of the footage and state they did not grant permission for its use in the touring show. The pair claim they have received no payment for this "new use" of the material.

The footage originated from Kingsman: The Golden Circle, in which Sir Elton performed a cameo role playing himself. In the film's finale, the singer, dressed in a feathered seventies stage suit and platform boots, performed choreographed fight sequences against henchmen, including an acrobatic flying kick. Mr Morton has worked on Game of Thrones and Dunkirk, whilst Mr Robson appeared in The Batman and Guardians of the Galaxy. The two stuntmen are suing MARV Bespoke Productions Limited, the company that produced Kingsman: The Golden Circle and is owned by director Matthew Vaughn and his wife Claudia Schiffer.

Mr Morton and Mr Robson seek £100,000 each for breach of contract and an injunction to prevent future use of the clips without permission. The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour recorded 330 live performances and became the highest-grossing concert tour in history, according to the claim. MARV Bespoke Productions Limited is defending the case and denies wrongdoing or any obligation to pay the stuntmen.