Lee Daniels’ The Butler, based on the true story of Eugene Allen, who served as a White House butler for 34 years, is being ordered to change its name.
Harvey Weinstein has lost the lawsuit against Warner Bros., and has been ordered on Tuesday by the Motion Picture Association of America to change the title because it belongs to a 1916 short film that’s housed in the Warner Bros. library.
However, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Weinstein has hired high powered attorney David Boies to fight the ruling from the AMPAA title registration bureau arbitration.
In a statement, Weinstein said through his attorney, "The suggestion that there is a danger of confusion between The Weinstein Co.’s 2013 feature movie and a 1917 [sic] 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 has already started to promote the film, releasing a trailer, and it’s scheduled to hit theaters Aug. 18.
The Butler has an all-star cast, including Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey as his wife.
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