Caffeinated Clint
Two highly-competitive corporates, Warner Bros and the Weinstein Company have been battling it out this week in regards to the latter’s upcoming release “The Butler”.
Talk about a dick measuring contest. Warner has has won a court ruling to say The Weinstein’s have to immediately change the title of their upcoming Lee Daniels-directed White House film “The Butler” – despite the film going under the title for the past couple of years without any complaints! – because there’s an obscure silent film in their library that has the same title. Yes, you heard me. Zzzzip.
Surprisingly (unless the honorable Judge Reinhold was calling the shots?), the heavy-hammered judge sided with Warner and their silent film and has ordered The Weinstein’s to find a new name for their upcoming all-star movie.
TWC’s attorney David Boises issued the following ‘god, he’s right’ statement “The suggestion that there is a danger of confusion between TWC’s 2013 feature movie and a 1917 short that has not been shown in theaters, television, DVDs, or in any other way for almost a century makes no sense. The award has no purpose except to restrict competition and is contrary to public policy.”
The Weinstein Company had until midnight yesterday to remove the word “Butler” from any of the marketing materials pertaining to the film. Bob and Harvey are, as you could imagine, prepared to fight it out. Zzzzzip.
It’s a bit of a Paul Kersey moment this one. Ya see, Warners would seem to be getting their revenge on The Weinstein’s over the shingle’s recent request to WB, asking them to rename their upcoming movie “The Good Lie” because it sounded a lot like their film “The Good Life”.
This will be settled, either with money or some kind of trade-off, but still…. you’d think studios would have better things to do – like, um, crafting some quality flicks?! – than wasting time and money over a piss and moan on such trivial things.
Meanwhile, “The Butler” will be temporarily referred to as “Oprah Winfrey Reloaded” here at Moviehole.
What next? Michael Mann wanting half the ticket sales on Fox’s “The Heat”!?
