### Judge Dismisses Second Lawsuit Over 1968 "Romeo and Juliet" Adaptation

In a California courtroom on Monday, a second lawsuit filed by the stars of Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" was dismissed. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Holly J. Fujie rejected claims from actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting regarding a 2023 Blu-ray re-release. The actors argued that the release, which they alleged was digitally enhanced, amounted to a new misappropriation of their likeness and was distinct from older versions of the film. However, Judge Fujie concluded that the latest claims "lack merit."

Judge Fujie emphasized that there was no significant difference between the 2023 re-release and earlier versions of the film. "A comparison of the 2023 release with the prior versions shows no significant visible improvement in the film, particularly in the bedroom scene, to the naked eye," Fujie wrote in her ruling. The contentious "bedroom scene," filmed when Hussey was 16 and Whiting was 17, depicts the two characters lying in bed, engaging in dialogues, and sharing a kiss, with brief nudity visible.

Olivia Hussey had previously described the scene as "sexual abuse of minors" and "child pornography" in a declaration signed in July. She further alleged that the Blu-ray release was engineered by Paramount to embarrass her in retaliation for her earlier participation in a prior lawsuit. Despite these assertions, Fujie found no grounds to distinguish the new claims from those dismissed in a previous lawsuit last year.

Hussey also claimed that she never consented to be filmed in the nude, stating that her state of undress was only captured after director Zeffirelli had called "cut." She maintained that while she had given Zeffirelli permission to use certain images, this didn't extend to Paramount Pictures, Criterion Collections, and Janus Films. Hussey's lawyer, William Romaine, argued that the new release manipulated the film's original content in an offensive manner. However, the judge discounted these concerns, noting a lack of noticeable distinction.

In defense, lawyers for Paramount, Criterion, and Janus described the allegations as "patently absurd," emphasizing that the content was identical to prior iterations and that the new release did not exceed the resolution of the original film. The legal team highlighted that the Criterion release was of a lower picture quality than other versions, including the digitally restored 4K film from 2016.

Previously, in 2023, another judge dismissed the first lawsuit filed by Hussey and Whiting. That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeals on April 15, 2024. Judge Alison MacKenzie, who issued the prior ruling, emphasized that not all images of nude children are considered pornographic and criticized the plaintiffs for selective use of legal statutes.

After the latest ruling, Paramount's lawyers declined to comment. Despite the court's decision, William Romaine indicated his intention to recommend an appeal, asserting that the court's judgment was misguided.