Judge Denies 50 Cent’s Bid to Halt Release of “Skill House” Film

50 Cent and his son Sire allege that they did not sign a contract for their scenes in the upcoming film “Skillhouse,” but the film will still release as planned.

50 Cent was unable to block the upcoming release of the horror film Skill House, after alleging the producers used his image without compensating him.

On July 3, U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera denied the rapper’s request for a preliminary injunction. This means that the film will hit the silver screen on July 11. The lawsuit, first filed in April by 50, accuses the producers of exploiting his name, voice, and likeness without authorization.

“Here, the parties disagree as to the critical fact in the case: whether Jackson signed the Binding Term Sheet and/or Certificate of Employment (collectively the ‘Agreement’) on August 2, 2022,” Judge Vera wrote in his ruling. “But even accepting Plaintiffs’ contention that no final Agreement was ever executed, the evidence before the Court raises numerous (and substantive) disputes of fact and law concerning whether the parties’ course of conduct evinces mutual agreement as to the Agreement’s material terms.”

The lawsuit claims that 50 Cent and his son, Sire, participated in filming scenes for Skill House in 2022 under the assumption that a formal contract would follow. According to court filings, no finalized agreement was ever signed. The producers allegedly never compensated 50 nor his son for their role in the project.

The complaint also accuses the defendants of promoting the film using 50 Cent’s brand and likeness without consent. 50 cited trademark infringement, false advertising, and violation of publicity rights. 50 argued that the unauthorized use of his intellectual property could damage his reputation and business ventures.

Despite those claims, Judge Vera ruled that 50 Cent did not meet the requirements necessary to receive an injunction. The inability to get an injunction represents the latest legal loss for 50 Cent, who’s been in and out of court for a variety of reasons over the last decade. However, the overall lawsuit continues to remain active. Regardless of how the suit is resolved, the film will open one week from today.