The death of Gene Hackman has reportedly opened up not just a Hollywood legacy but a potential legal battle over his now 93-year-old actor's estimated $80 million estate.

Last month, the two-time Academy Award winner died at the age of 95, leaving behind a living trust but no successor trustees — with all of them having died before the actor.

District Judge Maria Sanchez-Gagne granted the request Thursday and appointed a temporary successor trustee, Avalon Trust, LLC, at the suggestion of the estate's representative, Julia Peters.

The error, or lack of action, is particularly important because estate planning attorney Laura Cowan explains on her website a living trust allows a person to name a successor trustee who will control the assets following the person's death. Hackman never updated his trust after his chosen trustees died.

Cowan said to DailyMail, " Mr. Hackman did [pick successor trustees], but the people he picked all passed away before he did."

Avalon Trust, LLC is appointed to properly take care of important estate matters like filings and notifying beneficiaries.

"It's a common, proactive step in high-stakes estates, especially when multiple deaths or complex family dynamics are involved," Cowan added.

According to the trust documents, Hackman listed his wife, Betsy Arakawa, as a successor trustee to his Gene Hackman Living Trust. If she died, it would go to Michael G. Sutin. However, Sutin died in 2019, and when Hackman died, he never updated the trust.

And to top it all off, Arakawa is thought to have died at least a week before Hackman, reportedly of respiratory issues related to the hantavirus. It left no remaining successor trustees in place.

Hackman Also Has A Fortune That Could Lead To A Legal Dispute

Hackman's estate has raised speculation of a possible legal battle. Although his will allegedly gave his fortune to Arakawa, it was unknown if the trust funds for his first three children—Christopher Allen, Leslie Anne, and Elizabeth Jean—were part of any inheritance deal.

"If he died first and she [Betsy] had survived, it would've been World War III," a legal expert told DailyMail.com. "His kids would've probably gone crazy."

According to his will, Arakawa left her wealth to a charitable trust. However, it remains to be seen whether any of Hackman's children will dispute the estate in court. The fact that Hackman's son, Chris, has also hired noted estate attorney Andrew M. Katzenstein further fueled speculation.

"The fact that Chris got a high-powered lawyer indicates to me something is going on," a source told the outlet. "I don't know why the girls [daughters] are not represented. That tells me that there must be some trouble brewing."

Hackman's decades-long failure to update his trust could also result in tax burdens, delays, and additional probate costs.

"What's interesting about Gene Hackman's estate is that the problems he had have nothing to do with him being wealthy," Cowan noted. "The first problem is that his will was 20 years old. And now there's the question about whether it really reflects his wishes."