‘Top Gun’ Star Barry Tubb Sues Paramount Over ‘Maverick’ Unauthorized Image Use

Actor Barry Tubb, known for his role in the 1986 hit “Top Gun,” has taken legal action against Paramount Pictures, the studio responsible for both the original film and its 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” alleging that Paramount unlawfully used a behind-the-scenes image of him from the first movie in the later installment, without his consent and compensation. Court documents filed on Wednesday in California, reveal that Mr. Tubb is seeking unspecified damages for the unauthorized use of his likeness. According to Mr. Tubb’s legal team, when the actor portrayed Lt. J.G. Henry “Wolfman” Ruth in the original “Top Gun,” he had signed a contract permitting the use of his likeness solely for that film. Given the rarity of movie sequels at the time, there was no discussion about extending the agreement to cover any future projects. Nonetheless, Paramount allegedly utilized the image of Mr. Tubb from the original film in “Top Gun: Maverick” without his permission, a move that Mr. Tubb contends was essential to the scene and not merely incidental....