Producers pay damages to settle libel suit over movie about search for King Richard III
The producers behind the film “The Lost King” have agreed to pay damages to resolve a libel lawsuit brought by an academic who said he was unfairly portrayed on screen. The settlement ends a case centered on the movie’s depiction of the University of Leicester’s involvement in the celebrated 2012 discovery of King Richard III’s remains beneath a Leicester car park.
Richard Taylor, formerly the University of Leicester’s deputy registrar and now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, argued that the film wrongly presented him as dismissive and patronizing toward the search led by amateur historian Philippa Langley. He said the portrayal caused significant distress and embarrassment. A judge at a preliminary hearing previously observed that the film’s characterization of Taylor was unfavorable.
The parties reached a settlement before a full trial. Taylor’s legal team announced that the defendants—actor-writer Steve Coogan, Coogan’s production company Baby Cow, and Pathé Productions—agreed to pay substantial damages and cover legal costs. The amount was not disclosed.
As part of the resolution, the producers will add an on-screen clarification at the start of the film stating that Taylor’s depiction is fictional and does not represent the real person’s actions.
Taylor described the agreement as vindication after a long and exhausting dispute. Reflecting on the origins of the project, he said there were moments when he wondered whether the university should have ignored Langley’s request for support, but ultimately he believed engaging with the search was the right decision.
Coogan, who co-wrote the film and portrays Langley’s ex-husband on screen, maintained that the project is fundamentally Langley’s story and emphasized her central role in the discovery. He credited her persistence with bringing Richard III’s remains to light after centuries.
The discovery that captivated the world
The real-life saga began in 2012 when University of Leicester archaeologists worked with Langley to excavate a site in the city center. Their work led to the remarkable find of a skeleton later identified as King Richard III, the last English monarch to die in battle. He was killed in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses and paving the way for the Tudor dynasty under Henry VII.
Richard III’s posthumous reputation was long shaped by Tudor-era narratives and popularized by William Shakespeare’s depiction of him as a villainous, physically deformed usurper. Some historians, including Langley, have argued that these portrayals are exaggerated or unfair. They point to aspects of his brief reign from 1483 to 1485—such as legal reforms associated with bail and changes affecting the spread of books and printing—as evidence that his legacy is more complex than the caricature suggests.
The University of Leicester led scientific testing to confirm the remains’ identity, using a combination of archaeology, forensic analysis, and DNA matching. In 2015, Richard III was reburied with royal honors in Leicester Cathedral, bringing a measure of closure to a centuries-old mystery and cementing the discovery as one of the most notable archaeological stories in modern British history.
What the settlement means
The agreement avoids a courtroom showdown over where artistic license ends and factual misrepresentation begins in dramatizations of recent events. It also ensures that audiences will see a clearer disclaimer distinguishing the film’s narrative choices from the actions of the real people involved.
While financial terms remain private, the settlement underscores the legal risks that can arise when films based on true stories portray identifiable individuals in ways they consider defamatory. For Taylor, the case’s conclusion closes a difficult chapter; for the filmmakers, it preserves the focus on Langley’s quest while explicitly signaling to viewers that some characterizations are fictionalized.
