Maradona to drag Netflix to court over Hand of God film
Argentina legend Diego Maradona is threatening to sue Netflix over the Hand of God documentary, which is set to be released on the streaming platform later this year, according to dailystar.
Maradona, 59, says he did not give Netflix permission to use his image for the upcoming film which is directed by Oscar winning Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino.
Netflix is adamant that it is not a sports movie and is not about Maradona, instead stating that it will be a personal story about Sorrentino’s youth in 1980s Naples.
Maradona’s lawyer Matias Morla said in a statement he posted to Twitter: “Diego Maradona did not authorise the use of his image for this film.
“With our colleagues in Italy we are now drawing up the legal strategy to file a formal complaint with the justice system for the improper use of a registered brand.”
Sorrentino’s relationship with the Argentine superstar is a complex one – with the movie maker having credited the Napoli legend with unknowingly saving his life.
“Aside from all the things I’ve said before about Maradona, he involuntarily saved my life,” he told Variety in 2015.
“I lost my parents when I was 16 in an accident with the heating system in a house in the mountains where I always used to go to with them.
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“That weekend, I didn’t go because I wanted to go watch Maradona and S.S.C Napoli play a match in Empoli, and that saved me.”
Maradona previously sued Japanese video game producers Konami for including him in their PES 2017 game without his permission.