Steve Coogan Admits to Misrepresentation in Richard III Film Amid Libel Settlement
The screenwriter behind the 2022 film "The Lost King," a drama about the discovery of Richard III's remains, Steve Coogan, has agreed to settle a libel claim over his portrayal of a senior university administrator. Coogan will pay substantial damages to Richard Taylor, a deputy registrar at the University of Leicester who sued him for defamation.
Coogan said that while he regrets any harm caused by the film, it is "the story I wanted to tell," referring to the real-life events surrounding the discovery of Richard III's skeleton. The film follows amateur historian Philippa Langley as she searches for the king's remains, with Coogan also playing her husband.
According to Taylor's lawyers, his portrayal in the film was false and damaging to his professional reputation. However, Taylor has now welcomed the outcome of the libel case, saying it represents "success and vindication" after a long battle.
In an agreed statement, Taylor alleged that he had been portrayed as devious, weasel-like, and dismissive towards Langley, who spearheaded the dig to find Richard III's remains. The film also depicted Taylor as having misrepresented facts about the discovery to the media and the public.
The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Taylor have now agreed that substantial damages will be paid by Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions. A statement from the defendants said they remain "deeply aware of the responsibility" that comes with portraying real-life stories and approach each project with "care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity."
Coogan's portrayal of Taylor has been widely criticized as inaccurate and unfair, but he insists the film was always intended to be about Langley's story.
The screenwriter behind the 2022 film "The Lost King," a drama about the discovery of Richard III's remains, Steve Coogan, has agreed to settle a libel claim over his portrayal of a senior university administrator. Coogan will pay substantial damages to Richard Taylor, a deputy registrar at the University of Leicester who sued him for defamation.
Coogan said that while he regrets any harm caused by the film, it is "the story I wanted to tell," referring to the real-life events surrounding the discovery of Richard III's skeleton. The film follows amateur historian Philippa Langley as she searches for the king's remains, with Coogan also playing her husband.
According to Taylor's lawyers, his portrayal in the film was false and damaging to his professional reputation. However, Taylor has now welcomed the outcome of the libel case, saying it represents "success and vindication" after a long battle.
In an agreed statement, Taylor alleged that he had been portrayed as devious, weasel-like, and dismissive towards Langley, who spearheaded the dig to find Richard III's remains. The film also depicted Taylor as having misrepresented facts about the discovery to the media and the public.
The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Taylor have now agreed that substantial damages will be paid by Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions. A statement from the defendants said they remain "deeply aware of the responsibility" that comes with portraying real-life stories and approach each project with "care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity."
Coogan's portrayal of Taylor has been widely criticized as inaccurate and unfair, but he insists the film was always intended to be about Langley's story.
I gotta say, this whole thing is just a mess. Steve Coogan can't even get his facts straight without getting sued for libel 
. I mean, who plays an amateur historian and her husband in the same film? It's just confusing, you know? And now he's paying out damages to Richard Taylor because his portrayal was basically trash 
.
. And let's be real, the film industry needs more accountability than just "we approach each project with care and integrity" 
. He must have gone through an awful time being portrayed in a movie that wasn't entirely accurate 
. It's weird because you see these movies and you just accept they're not 100% true, but it doesn't mean the guy getting portrayed isn't still hurt by it 
. I guess it's good he won some sort of vindication though 
, even if it was just about his reputation 
.
. Like Steve Coogan, he thinks it's okay to misrepresent someone's character in a film just because it serves his narrative. Newsflash: facts matter! And if you're gonna play someone like Richard Taylor, you'd better get the story straight 
. I'm all for creative liberties, but not at the expense of truth and accuracy 
.
and now he's just paying off the libel claim instead of owning up to his mistakes 
maybe they should've double-checked the facts before making that movie? 
. i mean, i feel bad for him too, because who wants to be portrayed as a bad person in a movie? 
. schools should teach media studies, i think its so important to know how to do interviews and stuff properly 
it's crazy how some ppl think they're above accountability. richard taylor's been through hell and back fighting for his reputation, and now he's finally getting the justice he deserves 
anyway, i'm glad coogan is taking responsibility ( sorta?) and promising to be more careful in the future 
the film industry needs more people like pathe productions who actually care about getting it right 
The thing is, he said it's "the story he wanted to tell" and not really about the real person being portrayed. That just feels a bit dodgy to me 
.
.
. i get why taylor wanted to sue him tho, it's not right to defame someone like that especially when they're just trying to do their job 
, hope he can move on from that drama 
steve coogan is saying that the whole thing was meant to be about philippa langley's journey or whatever but like isn't it kinda about the people who were there too? 
anyway, gotta give props to pathe productions and baby cow for acknowledging they messed up and taking responsibility 
Steve Coogan is being super shady! I mean I knew he had a reputation for playing fictional characters who are kinda like him in real life, but this? That's just not cool. He's basically admitting that he messed up and misrepresented the guy who helped find Richard III's remains 
. I mean, it's one thing to take creative liberties with a story, but when you're messing with someone's reputation like that? No good 
. But I gotta give credit to Richard Taylor for sticking it out and fighting for his rep 
! The Lost King had some major issues with accuracy, and now we see why 
. Coogan should've been more careful, but at least he owned up to it in the end