Are the new Solo posters flattery or forgery?
The posters for Solo: A Star Wars Story have attracted plagiarism claims.
The upcoming Star Wars spin-off, Solo: A Star Wars story, has hit a new bump in the road before its release on 28 May. Solo, which already been dogged by behind the scenes upheaval and hastily drafted acting coaches, now finds itself in a poster design plagiarism row thanks to its recently released typographic teaser posters.
Unveiled back in February, the posters for Solo received a warm welcome thanks to their clever blend of typography and character graphics, not to mention the way they appeared to mix traditional and digital design elements.
However, it emerged over the weekend that the Solo posters bear more than a passing resemblance to a series of Sony Music France album covers by Hachim Bahous released in 2015. With comparable colours, typography and graphics, the similarities are certainly uncanny, to say the least.
Amazon graphic designer Adam Levermore shared the designs on Twitter to gauge the creative community's response. Judge for yourself whether the two designs are more than just a coincidence by exploring them below.
Um, @Disney, I loved the posters for #StarWars #Solo, but you have some explaining to do to the artist who created these album covers in 2015. pic.twitter.com/8WPOQuioTxMarch 3, 2018
Speaking on Facebook, Bahous said: "I am flattered that the quality of my work is recognised, but it is still pure and simple forgery, I have not been asked for my permission, I wish to be credited and paid for this work I have done for Sony!"
Indeed, a monumental coincidence would be noteworthy enough. But the story becomes even more problematic if you consider that Disney could have gone through Sony to secure repurposing rights without either studio being obligated to get permission from Bahous – a theory that many online creatives have leaped upon.
The whole incident has left artists and designers debating where paying homage ends and outright theft begins. And with no word forthcoming from Disney or BLT Communications, LLC, the creative team behind the posters, it remains to be seen if the dispute will be resolved.
Get top Black Friday deals sent straight to your inbox: Sign up now!
We curate the best offers on creative kit and give our expert recommendations to save you time this Black Friday. Upgrade your setup for less with Creative Bloq.
Related articles:
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Dom Carter is a freelance writer who specialises in art and design. Formerly a staff writer for Creative Bloq, his work has also appeared on Creative Boom and in the pages of ImagineFX, Computer Arts, 3D World, and .net. He has been a D&AD New Blood judge, and has a particular interest in picture books.