Bombay HC Refuses Interim Injunction Against JioStar Over New 'Queen' Movie

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an interim injunction against JioStar India over its upcoming film Queen Forever, rejecting a plea by Phantom Studios to halt the movie's production, promotion, or release.

Justice Sandeep Marne declined interim relief to Phantom Studios, which filed a ₹250 crore suit claiming that Queen Forever is an unauthorised sequel to the critically acclaimed 2014 film Queen. A detailed court order is awaited.

Phantom Studios alleged that the project breaches a 2012 co-production agreement and a 2022 deed of novation, asserting that Phantom and JioStar (formerly Viacom18) hold joint and equal ownership of all intellectual property and derivative rights related to Queen. Through its interim application, Phantom sought to temporarily restrain JioStar and its partners from proceeding with any sequel or adaptation without its written consent while the main lawsuit remains pending.

JioStar refuted the claims, maintaining that the new film is not a continuation of the original 2014 movie. The company further argued that Phantom was aware of the project as far back as April 2025 and had actively engaged in correspondence regarding it, noting that the film is scheduled for release later this year.

After hearing both sides, the High Court declined to stay the film's release or promotional activities.